


Every Little Kiss

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Manga), Code Name: Sailor V
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 10:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 30,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1030610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty stories for Kunzite and Minako for the thirty kisses challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seperation Anxiety

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list mu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 30: Technology.

**Separation Anxiety**

Technology was a wonderful thing. It had served Minako quite well over the past few years. When she had decided to take the control of her own career instead of letting her parents run it (there had only been so much Mina could take; the cutesy little girl stuff had been fine when she was a child model, but Mina had been seventeen and she knew that wouldn't last forever), technology had made the job easier. Minako had been able to manage her own career mostly with a phone and computer (and with a wide network of contacts). However, not even technology could make her feel better when Kenzie was gone.

Despite numerous phone calls, text messages, and emails, Mina did not cope well when he was gone for long periods of time. Of course, it didn't help that on this particular occasion, she had been planning on going with him. However, a schedule change with the TV series she was currently guest starring in had forced her to change her plan. Between that and the fact that it was absolutely pouring rain outside, Minako's bad mood was completely understandable. The twenty year old actress had quickly come to the conclusion that there was no way it was going to be a good day.

So the young woman was wrapped up in her boyfriend's robe and curled up in an oversized chair, waiting the rain fall out the window. Mina had abandoned her half hearted attempt to read through a number of scripts she'd been sent, and now she was just mindlessly watching the rain. Sighing, her fingers curled tighter around the mug she held. The tea was only lukewarm now, but Mina couldn't be bothered to go reheat it. She had first met Kenzie two years ago now. The young Scottish detective had been a participant in an exchange program at the same time that Minako had been dealing with a stalker.

Despite a rather inauspicious beginning, she and Kenzie had quickly become close. Within a year, they were sharing an apartment while Kenzie's original stint had been length due to how well it was working out. While Minako knew that eventually the pair of them would have to make decisions about where to take up permanent residence, for the moment she was content with the way things were. Still, with Kenzie making a brief visit home, Mina was more than a little lonely. Yes, her friends were around, and they hung out more frequently when Kenzie was gone, but it wasn't really the same.

The soft chime of her cell phone drew Mina out of her funk. With a delighted smile kissing her lips, she snatched it up.

"Hello?"

"What are you up to, Mina mine?"

With a happy sigh, Mina settled back in her chair. Technology didn't make her miss Kenzie less when he wasn't here, but it could make things a little more bearable.


	2. Pilgrim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 17: Seven Seas.

**Pilgrim**

Minako sighed as she got off the train. Normally, she was excited when arriving in a new location, but it had been a bad trip so far, and it had only just begun. She was hoping that after a good night's sleep she would be ready to tackle a new location. Thankfully, the inn she was staying at was close to the train station, and a hot bath and a good night's sleep should set her mood aright. She was more than happy to fall into bed and get some sleep.

The next morning found Mina ready to start exploring. This was the part of her job that she really loved. Traveling different places and investigating what they held suited her quite well. Restlessness was nothing new to Minako. It had been a besetting problem since she was a teenager. It had been Ami who suggested that she try and find a job that would allow her travel frequently and indulge her wanderlust. It was good advice, even if Minako didn't think Ami understood exactly. It wasn't exactly wanderlust. She could care less about seeing seven seas or climbing the great mountains. Minako was searching for something. The problem was that she didn't know what she was searching for, she just knew something was missing.

The last five years had been interesting and yet uneventful in many ways. With high school done and hardly any need for fighting evil, they had all gone their own ways. The five girls were still close, but their lives weren't quite as interconnected as they once had been. Ami was fully immersed in medical school and was currently dating a resident in another department of the hospital where she worked. Makoto had gotten an apprenticeship at one of the best restaurants in Tokyo and was busy making her name as a chef as well as a recent romance which was actually going some place for a change. It had surprised no one when Usagi and Mamoru were married shortly after Usagi's twentieth birthday. Mamoru seemed to be quite happy working at the same hospital as Ami, and oddly enough, Usagi had gotten a job illustrating children's books which she loved. Rei was still running the shrine of course. Though she had recently acquired a new groundskeeper who also taught kendo at the shrine, and if the pair didn't kill one another, Minako could see them getting together.

But they all were happy and content with their lives at the moment, and Mina was not. She enjoyed her job as a travel writer (especially the travel part), but there was still something missing. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she was unlucky in love or just that she hadn't quite found her niche, but something wasn't quite right. She did her best to push away those thoughts and instead focused on her agenda for the day.

Armed with a digital camera and a map of Izumo, Minako set off to explore and see what she could find. She knew, of course, that the city was home to one of the country's most ancient shrines, but part of what made Minako's travel articles so popular were the unexpected elements and sites she found. Typically, Mina let her feet take her where they would and took it what she found. It was a method that tended to work well for her.

However, she wasn't so sure about that it was working for her today. She sighed, checking her map. This trip was not going well at all. Even when she had had disastrous trips before, they had always been interesting disasters. This time not so much. And now she was lost. It was not her day. With another sigh, Minako slumped, sitting down on a rock.

"Are you all right, miss?"

She looked up to find a tall, silver haired man standing in front of her. He had spoken in English, probably assuming she was a foreigner because of her blond hair, and there was a trace of a familiar accent in his voice. She offered him a weary little smile.

"Just lost. It's not exactly been my day." There was a rumble of thunder. "Or my week apparently."

He laughed and offered her a hand; the laugh transformed his face from rather serious to someone Mina rather thought she'd like to get to know. "Let's see what we can do about that. There's a great noodle shop around the corner. We can wait out the rain there and try to figure out how to get you where you're going."

Without a moment of hesitation, she took his hand. She smiled. "Minako Aino."

"Kenzie Macleod. You're Japanese then?"

Minako shrugged. "Mostly. I grew up in London though. Let me guess. Scottish?"

Kenzie nodded. "Glasgow. Shall we, my lady?"

He pulled her to her feet, and then to her utter surprise, he kissed her hand. Half and hour later while rain beat against the window, Mina found herself laughing as she enjoyed some of Izumo's signature soba and listened to Kenzie tell her stories of his friends. He had a dry, spare sense of humor that Mina found delightful. She still wasn't entirely sure how much of a success this trip would turn out to be, but somehow, Minako did have the feeling that she might just have found what she was looking for.


	3. Firework

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 19: Salvation.

**Firework**

Kenzie MacLeod had always been the serious one among his friends. Even in elementary school. He'd been the voice of reason for years, and he doubted that anyone would believe him when he told them that the reason he couldn't make a romantic relationship work because there was a girl in his dreams. Well, she wasn't really a girl anymore. She appeared to be in her twenties now. But it certainly wouldn't provide any salvation from his friends' matchmaking attempts.

She had been in his dreams for years. The blond girl had first appeared when he was about fourteen and she was ten. She had grown up with him. He knew her face by heart. He knew her expressions and the way emotions flit through her eyes. Kenzie knew the sound of her voice. But he didn't know her name. Or if she existed outside of his dreams. He had given up hope of finding her in real life. He'd never met anyone who was even close.

Petite with long blond hair and sapphire blue eyes, his lady was no one who he'd run across either in Scotland or in England. Not even on his vacation to Scandinavia on year. Kenzie had pretty much given up on ever finding her. She was most likely a figment of his imagination. That didn't mean she was easy to forget though, especially when she showed up frequently. He did not dream of her every night, but hardly a week went by when he didn't have at least one dream of her.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. They were not particular helpful to him today. His best friend was getting married and as the best man, mooning over a dream girl was not in the job description. Admittedly, Kenzie felt a little awkward in his kilt while most of the others were in tradition Japanese clothing, but Mamoru had insisted. It was a slightly odd wedding anyway since Mamoru and his fiancée had combined some very odd traditions from various places in order to put together their wedding, but clearly they meant something to the couple so Kenzie wasn't going to complain.

"Is everyone ready? I need you all to be at the shrine in five minutes."

The light from the window shining on her blocks her face from sight. The young woman wore a yellow furisode kimono pattern with cranes and pine trees. Then she moved, and he got a good look at her face. Familiar blue eyes met his own, and she appeared to be just as stunned as he was. And then she offered him a brilliant smile and her hand.

"Minako Aino. I'm the maid of honor."

"Kenzie MacLeod."

The second their hands touched it was like a spark of electricity between them, and Kenzie found himself kissing the back of her hand instead of shaking it like he had originally planned. Minako's smile grew if that was possible.

"It's lovely to meet you. Five minutes. I'll see you at the reception?"

"Absolutely."

She was gone moments later, but Kenzie knew he'd see her again. In person instead of in dreams.


	4. Mall Trawl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 3: Kaleidoscope.

**Mall Trawl**

He had to be insane. Kenzie had no idea whatsoever why he had agreed to this. He had to have been crazy to even entertain the idea. Or he was being punished for something. That could be the reason. But he was here at the mall with Minako now, and Kenzie knew there was no window for escape.

Minako was a terror when it came to shopping. It became something of a kaleidoscope experience full of whirling colors and much confusion. Kenzie sighed. It was supposed to be a quick trip. They had now been here for three hours. He couldn't imagine why she wasn't exhausted. He loved his girlfriend, but there were some things about her that really baffled him.

It did not help that he had been turned into a pack horse. Kenzie didn't know what was in half of the bags he was now carrying, but Mina seemed to add to the collection on whim and showed no signs of stopping. Kenzie sighed, glancing around the store for some place to sit down. Minako bounced over to him with a bright smile.

"Just one more thing." She kissed his cheek. "Then we can go get something to eat."

He was pretty sure that he was being punished for something, but she made it worth it.


	5. Soul Sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is slightly AU. Theme 15: The Other Side Of The Coin.

**Soul Sister**

Kenzie leaned against of the wall watching the pretty blond woman in the madras sundress standing atop of the fountain. He did not often visit Minako when she was on set, but the two of them had plans for the long weekend and were leaving as soon as she finished shooting this commercial. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long for them to finish filming, and then he and Mina could be on their way.

He had gotten some odd looks when he showed up. Kenzie was well aware that most of crew and staff were completely baffled by his and Minako's relationship. That was fairly true of his own coworkers as well, though they had gotten to see the beginning of the relationship. Still, a police detective and a starlet did seem like a rather odd pair.

They were far more alike than people guessed. They were not exactly opposites, though it could seem that way at first glance. Kenzie hid most of what he was feeling with a stoic mask. Minako's mask was her ditzy, bubbly persona, but it was a mask all the same. What was under those masks was very similar. His prince had once described them as opposite sides of the same coin. Complications of past lives aside, the two of them had very similar priorities: protecting the prince and princess and protecting their friends. They were both leaders, and they took their jobs seriously. The pair shared the burdens of leadership, and that was part of what bound them together. She understood his commitment to his duty, and he understood hers.

They fit each other in so many other ways as well. Kenzie knew that he was one of the few people that Minako could simply be herself with. The opposite was also true. They had windows into one another's personalities that others did not. She was also one of the few people that he showed his more playful side to. Not many people, including some of his good friends, would believe that he could indulge in silliness. And admittedly, it was Jaden and Zach who were more likely to play pranks than he was. But they had learned the hard way after he'd been the target of one of their pranks and Kenzie had retaliated. With his lady's help, he might add.

"Woolgathering are we?"

Kenzie blinked and found his girlfriend standing beside him. With a bright smile, Minako pushed up on her toes and kissed him before looping her arm through his.

"Ready to go? We've got three whole days to ourselves."

He smiled down at her. "Absolutely."


	6. Uncharted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 16: Cage.

**Uncharted**

Curled up in the window seat, Minako was doing her best to disappear. She was not happy, but there was very little she could do about it at the moment. Her parents and her agent were arguing about the terms of her latest deal. To be honest, Minako didn't care how the details worked out. She didn't want to do it at all.

It was yet another spot as a teenage pop teen idol singing bland music that was generic and aimed at teenage girls. She'd done it before, and Mina was ready to move on to something else. Actually, to be completely honest, Minako wanted to take a break from her current career. In fact, if she was going to keep working in show business, she would need to. Minako had been working as a model, singer, and actress since she was about five, and she was pretty sure she was burning out.

Minako knew she was in trouble. She was not happy. She hadn't been happy with her career in at least a year or so. Oddly enough, she did know what she wanted. At least for the next couple of years. She had managed to scrape up test scores good enough to get her into college, and she wanted to go. Minako wanted to major in music, and she wanted to write her own material. She wanted a couple years of being a normal young adult. Or at least as normal as she could be.

Neither her parents nor her agent would hear of any of that. Her request to take a few years off had been shut down immediately, and not even the idea of still working and going to college part time had been accepted. There had been a disconnect between herself and her parents for years, ever since she had first become a senshi, but it had grown greater as of late.

Listening to her parents and her agent argue, Minako closed her eyes. She was almost eighteen and had little to no control over where her life was going. Any more it felt like she lived in a gilded cage with no way to escape. The only place she felt like she had any freedom anymore was with her friends and fellow senshi or with the shittenou. She needed to find an escape. She couldn't keep doing this, and she was so sick of other people running her life. It was one thing to pledge herself to a cause she believed in, like protecting her princess and her friends, it was an other to have other people making that sort of decision for her.

As the argument grew louder, Minako slipped into her bedroom. Biting her lip, she pulled a duffle bag out of her closet and began packing. She couldn't do this any more. She wasn't going to do this any more. She wasn't signing whatever contract they produced for her. And she wasn't sticking around here. At least not for the rest of the weekend. It wasn't like her parents would notice that she was missing. They hardly ever took note of her comings and goings anymore.

At least she did know where she was going. While most of the girls would give her sympathy, what Minako really needed at the moment was someone who could help her figure out a real solution to her problem. And Minako knew exactly where to go. She rang the buzzer to Kenzie's apartment. Mina bit her lip. Hopefully, he wouldn't tell her she was being an idiot and to go back home. The leader of the shittenou would at least have some idea of where she might be able to look for a solution. Besides, since he was a police detective, he know pretty quickly if a search was started for her. Minako wanted an escape, but she didn't want to put her parents through an ordeal if she didn't have to.

The door opened and the next thing that she knew Minako found herself almost hysterically spilling out the whole story.

"—and I just can't deal with it anymore. I mean, I'm old enough to make my own decisions and—"

Kenzie cut her off with a soft kiss. Then he pulled her into a warm hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"We'll figure it out, Mina-mine. Come in out of the rain and tell me the whole story."

With a soft sight, Minako followed him insides, feeling at peace for the first time in ages.


	7. Chasing Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 08: Carpe Diem (Seize the Day).

**Chasing Dreams**

She had been in England in order to film a part on a TV series when the call came. Usagi had been slightly incoherent over the phone, but Minako had gotten the gist of her message. Mamoru's guardians were back. Alive with their memories of the past, and they were determined to make up for past mistakes. Well, the ones of them that had surfaced so far. They had only met two of them. Zoicite was now Zachary James, a medical student a couple years ahead of Ami. Nephrite was Nathan O'Conner, an astronomer who had been in Tokyo for a conference. There had been no sign of Jadeite yet, but Usagi expected him to show up soon.

Minako had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it was probably good for Mamoru to have his guardians back. All of the girls liked him, of course, but they didn't have the same sort of relationship with him that they did with Usagi, and Mina had the feeling he felt left out at times. And it might be good for the girls to have the Shittenou around again. Yes, in the past there had been serious heartbreak, but this new life of theirs was proving to be a chance to start over for more than just the Senshi. Besides, Minako was romantic enough to believe that this time they might just get their happy endings.

So when she spotted him at the party, Minako had already made up her mind on how to react. She wasn't going to wait. She noticed him because he looked out of place, but once she got a good look at the man, she knew exactly who he was. Tall with white blond hair and granite eyes, Minako knew his face almost as well as her own. She took a moment to study Kunzite. He looked a little more relaxed than she remembered him being, but he was still uncomfortable to her eye. He looked quite good in traditional highland dress. He also looked bored out of his mind. Mina smiled.

The truth was Minako hated these parties. They were boring and stuffy and mostly full of people older than she was brownnosing as hard as possible. She was used to sneaking out of events like this. This time she was going to take Kunzite with her. It was easy enough for her to extricate herself from her current conversation, and Minako slowly made her way across the room, trying not to draw attention to herself.

She sidled up to Kunzite. "You look about as bored as I am."

He turned to look at her and did a double take. Minako just smile.

"I'm Minako Aino."

"Kenzie McLeod." There was a soft Scottish burr in his voice and recognition in his eyes. "I-"

She kissed his cheek, cutting off any silly thing he might say. "Past is past. We may have things to deal with, but we'll do that as we move forward."

Then he smiled at her, that heartstoppingly sweet smile that he had always reserved just for her.

She flashed him a bright smile. "Do you want to get out of here?"

He offered her his hand. "Sounds good to me."

An hour later anyone peering into the window at the local Starbucks was doing a double take as a woman in a golden evening gown and a man in a kilt made a new beginning.


	8. Facets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 14: House of Mirrors.

**Facets**

Kenzie watched Minako flit from group to group at the party with a slight smirk. He knew exactly what her follow actors and the TV producers were seeing. A beautiful blond woman dressed in high fashion and slightly silly and frivolous in personality. Barely any of them knew that Minako knew contracts and contract law inside out or that she was the one who did all of the checking and changes to her contracts. But then that was typical. Not too many people bothered to look past the surface when it came to his lady.

There was far more to her than people assumed, though to be fair, she hid much of her various facets well. It all depended on the situation you saw her in. She could be a strong and fearless leader, a peppy cheerleader, a silly ditz of a school girl, or a caring friend. Different times and places brought out different sides of her too. The Minako he knew now was vastly different in many ways from the Princess Venus he had first met and fallen in love with. The thing was it didn't matter to Kenzie which face she was showing the world to day. He still loved her. He'd seen many facets of Minako, but he doubted he had seen them all. But in the end, they all made up the woman he loved.

It was like a house of mirrors. Different mirrors showed different sides of her personality, a different window of possibility for her. Kenzie was well aware that he was privileged to see parts of her that hardly anyone else did. He knew the insecure young woman who worried about her future and the choices she made. He was very familiar with the one who left her designer clothing in a pile when she got home in favor of leggings and one of his shirts and watched British mystery shows to unwind. A pair of sapphire blue eyes caught his across the room, and Minako offered him one of her true smiles.

He pushed off the wall and crossed the room. Kenzie leaned down to kiss her. No matter which aspect of herself she was showing at the moment, Minako had his heart.


	9. Hidden Depths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 26: Beneath the Ice.

**Hidden Depths**

"I cannot wait to get home," Minako sighed, leaning against the windowsill.

Billie, her fellow actress nodded. "I know what you mean. This has been completely ridiculous."

It had been one of the worst production experiences that Mina had ever had. She was absolutely exhausted and discouraged at the moment, and all she really wanted was for toady to be over with. If it weren't for the fact that the plot of the miniseries was absolutely wonderful and the other actors involved were great. The BBC production was going to be wonderful if they survived filming it. Unfortunately, the director was bat-shit crazy and currently involved in some sort of vendetta with the crew. It did not make for the best work situation.

Still there were some advantages to being on location here in Britain. One of them being that she wasn't currently conducting a long distance relationship. No, she got to go home to Kenzie's flat on a regular basis these days.

"Kenzie's got the night off, and a quiet evening in together sounds divine."

This time the other woman shook her head. "I've been meaning to ask. Just what do you see in him? He's rather a cold fish isn't he? The two of you seem like complete opposites."

Minako laughed. It didn't surprise her that her coworkers would think that. It was the image that Kenzie project. Both as General Kunzite and as Detective Sergeant Kenzie McLeod. It was part of his job and duty as well as his personality. He'd always been a rather stoic and private man. But beneath that icy exterior was a rather cuddly person, even if she was one of the few people to see that. She knew that he would always been there for her. And while he might not be good about expressing his feelings in words, it was in the little things he did for her that those emotions shone through.

Everything from making sure that she ate real food on a regular basis to listening to her rant about work. Kisses and hot cups of tea And he gave very good hugs when she needed them. But the warm, cuddly Kenzie was something that Mina was one of the very few people to see. He kept that side of him reserved for his closest friends. So Minako just smiled at her coworker.

"What can I say? He's got hidden depths."

One of their older coworkers joined them. Sharon smiled at the pair.

"Hiding from our director? He's off on one of his rants again. We probably won't get anything else done today."

Mina groaned. "Great."

Sharon smirked. "Cheer up. I saw your boyfriend chatting with Nathaniel down by the gate. It sounds like he's planning on kidnapping you since no work is getting done."

A smile lit her face. Maybe today could be redeemed after all.


	10. Fate and Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 20: Outer Space.

**Fate and Destiny**

Minako nervously fiddled with her cloak. She wasn't looking forward to this trip, and she really was not looking forward to the role she would be playing. Normally, she acted as the leader of the Senshi, but for this particular mission, Rei would be filling that role. It was not as if the Terrans would know that Minako typically filled that role. They hardly had any dealings with the Moon Kingdom or any of the other kingdoms in outer space. Given the strange events lately, it had been deemed prudent for Minako to pretend to be Serenity while Serenity would play the role of the Senshi of Venus. The fact that they looked so much alike made the decoy scheme easy.

It would be Serenity's first state visit now that she was of age. There was talk of perhaps a marriage between Serenity and Prince Endymion of Earth, but that was a ways off if it ever happened. This was just the preliminary diplomatic contact and testing of the waters. Minako sighed. This was going to be a disaster. She had serious concerns about the whole scheme for several reasons. One of which was the fact that it was much harder to do the job of protecting Serenity when she was pretending to be Serenity. Yes, she trusted the others to protect their princess, but Minako chaffed at being limited in doing her duty. Her other major concern was the fact that having Serenity in the role of Sailor Venus was not likely to convince the court that she was grown up and capable of handling her own duties.

Serenity might be sixteen and considered an adult by law, but most of the Royal Court insisted on thinking that she was still a little girl. It did not help that she could seem childish and innocent most of the time, and in some ways, Serenity was innocent. However, she was also well trained, and she had a knack for understanding people and knowing how to talk them around. She just needed the chance to prove herself. And this wasn't likely to provide her with one. Sighing again, Minako smoothed her dress. She had a bad feeling about this. It wasn't anything she could quite put her finger on, but something felt off. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the mission.

After a far too long formal introduction and presentation, the five girls finally had the chance to retire to their rooms. Minako sank onto her bed with a sigh. This was going to be a very interesting trip, if a rather frustrating one. What had struck Mina most though had been Serenity's reaction to Earth's prince. It had been clear to her from the moment that the prince and princess' eyes had met that they had felt a connection. Of course, that was complicated by the fact that Prince Endymion currently thought that Serenity was Princess Minako, but at least it was a start if the marriage between the two of them actually went through.

And Mina had liked what she saw of the Terran Royal Court. The prince had a group of guards and retainers that seemed to serve the same purpose as the Senshi did, and that boded well. A ruler could always use trusted advisors. She didn't have a good sense of Prince Endymion's just yet, but there was time for that. From the sounds of things, Prince Endymion and his Shitennou would be the ones to act as their main escorts during this visit.

Though Minako soon realized the problem with that. When they all split up, Serenity would not be with her. She would be alone with whichever Shittenou who had been assigned to her. However, she was pleasantly surprised when General Kunzite insisted on himself and "Princess Venus" joining herself and Prince Endymion. She liked the leader of the prince's personal guard, if only because he insisted on that. Actually, to be completely honest, she truly liked what she saw of General Kunzite. The man was slightly older than his prince, dedicated to his job, and from what Minako had observed was quite a good fighter. She saw many parallels between the two of them, and if Serenity and Endymion did marry, she rather thought they could work together well.

Kunzite did seem rather concerned by the chemistry between Serenity and Endymion. Given that he thought she was actually Serenity, that wasn't too surprising. Minako was beginning to consider that telling the Shitennou and Prince Endymion about the scheme might be a good idea. She hadn't run that by the others yet, but it would solve a number of problems, including the idea that Serenity could be sent off with a Shitennou who didn't know that he needed to protect her. It would definitely make Minako feel better at the very least.

In the end, she didn't have the chance to have that discussion with the others. A flood of panic from the bond with Serenity had woken Minako from a dead sleep, and she'd been out of bed and tearing down the hall even as the first scream was heard. She arrived at Serenity's door only moments before Kunzite and Endymion.

"Princess-"

She didn't wait for Kunzite to finish. She just pushed the door open, completely focused on getting to Serenity. The others should be along shortly, but her bond with Serenity had always been one of the strongest, and their rooms were closest to one another. Moonlight spilling through a window illuminated the situation. The sight of Serenity huddled up against the headboard of her bed trying to fend off her attacker filled Minako with fury. She stopped thinking and just acted. It only took her a matter of moments to pull the redheaded woman off Serenity. Before she had to figure out what to do with the woman, Kunzite took her from Minako.

For a moment Minako wanted to protest, but this wasn't some place where she had authority, and when Serenity burst into tears, Mina was glad to have one less thing to worry about. She climbed onto the bed beside her princess, and Serenity practically fell into her arms. Minako stroked her hair and spoke soothingly.

"It's all right, Princess. I've got you. You're safe now."

She looked up to find General Kunzite watching her, Serenity's attacker being handed off to another of the Shitennou. Minako offered him a slight smile. She had the feeling that their little decoy scheme was over. Once the others had joined her in comforting Serenity, Minako slipped away. She wanted to find out just who the attacker was and what was being done with her, and she rather thought that she had some explaining to do. She made her way over to General Kunzite who was standing with Prince Endymion.

"Your highness, General."

Kunzite met her eyes. "Princess?"

"Minako of Venus. Minako is fine. I'm the head of Serenity's personal guard."

Endymion was frowning, looking over at where the others were still comforting Serenity. "Then that's?"

Minako nodded. "Princess Serenity. We were instructed to use myself as a decoy for the initial diplomatic meetings."

"You look remarkably alike." That was Kunzite.

"We're close cousins. My father was Serenity's uncle, and her father was mine. The attacker?"

"One of the ladies of the court," Kunzite replied. "She has a bit of an obsession with the prince, but it's never manifested in violence before now."

Minako nodded. Endymion kept casting wistful glances towards Serenity. It was clear that he wanted to go over and check on her. Mina smiled.

"Go on. The others won't bite, and it will probably cheer her up."

Kunzite didn't speak until his prince was out of earshot. "I have to admit I am rather relieved. It would have been awkward for him to so clearly favor the wrong Princess."

Mina looked at him. "But you're not completely surprised."

He shook his head. "You act more like a bodyguard than she does. I wasn't sure, but it did seem like something was off."

She smiled; she knew she had liked this man. "So, what will happen to my princess' attacker?"

"That will depend. Jadeite is currently trying to find out just why she attack your princess." He considered her. "Would you like to join our investigation?"

Minako nodded and then shivered from the cold. She was only wearing her nightgown after all. Kunzite just shrugged off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you."

"Shall we, my lady?"

She glanced back in time to see Endymion kiss Serenity's hand, and her princess blushed and smiled in response. The other Senshi were ranged around them, and one of the other Shitennou was lurking in the shadows. Her princess was in good hands.

"Yes."

Minako smiled up at him. This little diplomatic endeavor might just work out very well after all.


	11. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the first part in a series. Theme #07: Self-Sacrifice.

**Lost**

Minako had a bad feeling about this. There was something in the air that set her on edge. This was not the first time she had played decoy, but something felt wrong. It made her twitchy. But she wasn't going to back out now. There were reasons for her acting as a decoy. Serenity had just come of age, and there had been a number of very subtle attempts to either kidnap Serenity or kill her. There were shadows growing in the Silver Alliance, and the Crown Princess seemed to be their focus. Minako was not about to let anything happen to her cousin.

Not only because it was her duty, but because Serenity was the best friend she'd ever had. Serenity was more like her little sister than her cousin quite honestly. The other Senshi felt the same. They might be duty bound to protect the Moon Princess, but it was Serenity herself who made them so fierce to protect her. Serenity and the other Senshi were the only friends one another really had, and between that and bond that bound them, they were fiercely protective of one another.

So while Minako had a bad feeling about this, she would rather it be her in the carriage than Serenity. And when the attack finally occurred, Minako was more or less expecting it. She peered out of the carriage window, trying to figure out a plan of action. Makoto had been the only Senshi with her, and Minako knew she had been drawn off several minutes ago. If she was to keep up the masquerade of being Serenity, she should stay inside the carriage. Ami and Rei would not quite have gotten Serenity back to the Moon Palace yet, so stalling for time was key. Makoto was not in any danger at this point, just busy. So waiting was a good idea. Finding out who was behind the attacks on Serenity was part of the reason for the decoy scheme after all.

That didn't make her feel any better, but it did keep her inside the carriage, waiting for the attackers' next move. Even so, she started slightly when the carriage door was ripped open before she screamed and fought back. The attackers were dressed in black and masked. Two of them grabbed her, and Minako struggled against the grip.

"Is she the real one or the fake?"

"She has to be the real one. The others just ran rather than fighting."

If they thought she was a fake, they would go after Ami, Rei, and Serenity again. Minako couldn't risk that. So she wouldn't fight as well as she could. Makoto was on her way. She had to keep them busy until Serenity was safe. So she put up a token struggle. Minako struggled to keep herself from just breaking away and laying the men out. There were six of them, and she knew she could take at least four of them by herself. And she was fighting down panic. Something about all of this felt wrong to her. Her instincts were screaming at her to get away now.

But duty held her bound more than the men holding her. Then she felt the kiss of something hard against the side of her head, and darkness engulfed her.

Minako knew something had gone seriously wrong the moment consciousness returned. The floor beneath her was cold and stone. Her head ached. Cool metal encircled both of her wrists. Turning her head, Mina could see that she was chained to the wall. She took in the grey cell, not recognizing any part of it. The young woman struggled to sit up on her knees. She did not know how long she had been here nor did she know where she was or who held her. But she was going to meet her captivity on her own terms. Tentatively, she reached for her bond with Serenity. It was more empathy than anything else, but the bond at least was a connection that could always be counted on.

Instead she found emptiness. The bond was either gone or completely blocked. Minako felt panic rising. She reached for the power of Venus. She couldn't reach it either. Her panic grew. This shouldn't be possible. Not when she was still alive. Mina bit her lip. The cell door opened.

She couldn't see the man due the bright light behind him. She looked up at him, trying to be as composed and defiant as possible.

"Well, now. I see you've finally decided to rejoin us."

She didn't recognized his voice. Minako opened her mouth. She had meant to ask who the hell was he. Nothing came out. Her captor laughed.

"You'll find that you're rather limited in your expression, my dear. You're not the prize we had wanted, but you've proved useful none the less. I hope you are comfortable. You'll be here for quite awhile."

He turned and left and Minako was once again alone. Her shoulders slumped. Her voice was gone. The bond made when she swore her oaths to Serenity was gone. Her powers were gone. Her princess and her fellow Senshi must think she was dead. She was prisoner to an enemy she did not know and didn't know what they wanted from her. Mina closed her eyes and wept.


	12. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the second part in a series. Theme #23: Silk and Rags.

**Found**

It was supposed to have been a normal enough raid. Endymion had been working to root out the dark magicians who had been plaguing the Royal Court for the past year, and they had carried out at least a dozen of these raids in that time. But they hadn't ever found prisoners before. This time when they entered the building, they found a cell in the basement. And it was occupied.

Kunzite's first impression of her was pale skin, tangled hair, and wide blue eyes. She was bruised but did not seem too badly hurt. It was clear she had been here for some time though, and her eyes were full of fear as she watched him. Kunzite knew that he was not exactly the most approach of men, but he tried appear nonthreatening as he approached her.

"Are you all right, little one?"

She blinked at him and tilted her head to the side. A little half smile appeared on her lips, but she didn't say anything. Kunzite kept himself from frowning. The lack of response was odd.

"I'll have you free in just a few minutes."

The man was gentle as he unchained her. Besides being bruised, the girl was painfully thin, and her dress had seen better days. Her skin was cold to the touch.

"We'll have to wait to get the manacles off of you I'm afraid."

She was wobbly as he helped her to her feet. She was also shivering. Kunzite wrapped his cloak around her shoulders and took her hand.

"You're going to be just fine. I'm going to have our healer look at you, and we have a few questions for you, but no one is going to hurt you."

She nodded at him and followed where he led. Kunzite studied her silently. This was not just some girl who had been captured. She moved like a noble. Despite being bruised and most likely stiff and sore, there was a grace in the way she moved and the way she held herself that impossible to mistake. Especially after so many years in the Royal Court. The girl was also slightly skittish as well. She jumped at the shadows and started at most noises. At least once as he led her through the halls, she startled badly and nearly pressed herself into his side, trembling slightly. She seemed to trust him at least.

Kunzite found himself oddly drawn to the girl. There was something about her that made him want to protect her. She stiffened when she saw the others but continued forward when he placed his hand at the small of her back.

"Zoisite, they had a prisoner. Can you look her over please? I think we'll also need your skills to get the manacles off of her."

The youngest of the Shittenou offered the girl a gentle smile. "We'll take care of those manacles first. Why don't you sit down? What's your name, sweetheart?"

The young woman gracefully seated herself. Kunzite watched as she offered another little half smile, shook her head, and touched her throat. Zoisite shot Kunzite a look then frowned.

"You can't speak?"

The girl nodded.

"You can understand us though."

She nodded again.

Zoisite sighed. "All right. Give me your wrists, please? Let's get those manacles off of you, and then I'll take a look at your injuries."

Zoisite kept up a running commentary as he worked on his manacles with lock picks. Mostly it was about himself and the others. The girl relaxed more as he spoke though, and she was much easier once the manacles came off. Still, she clutched his cloak around her shoulders, and her eyes darted around every so often as if looking for an attack. Once he'd examined her and set a few healing spells, Zoisite commandeered Kunzite's rations and instructed her to eat. Then he motioned to Kunzite.

The two men were joined by Nephrite. Jadeite was still with their prince, investigating the fortress. Zoisite sighed, casting a glance over at the girl.

"She's mostly just beaten and bruised and not well fed. It looks like they were still softening her up. There's no damage to her throat whatsoever or any physiological reason for her muteness. She might be under some sort of spell that causes the silence, but I didn't see any traces of it. My best guess is she's about sixteen and was either nobility or perhaps a priestess in training before this."

"So, she's not likely to be able to tell us anything about who was holding here," Nephrite said. "Pity."

Zoisite shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know if she can write. Either way, we can't leave her here."

Nephrite turned to look at the girl. "You're right about that. There's something about her. I'll have to consult with the stars, but she's a normal prisoner by any means."

They were interrupted by Endymion and Jadeite's return. There was a brief flurry of explanations before Kunzite helped the girl to her feet and introduced her to the prince.

"Prince Endymion, this is the young lady that they were holding prisoner."

She dropped into a graceful curtsy, and despite the rags she wore and the silk cloak wrapped around her, she looked entirely regal. It was not quite the formal court curtsy that Kunzite typically saw, but it was rather close. Endymion smiled and kissed her hand.

"You need not worry about your captors any longer, and we will make sure that you are taken care before we part company."

"She needs a name," Zoisite commented. He smiled at her. "We can't just keep calling you 'you' or 'the girl'."

She tilted her head to the side and nodded.

"Kyna?" Zoisite offered.

She shook her head.

Nephrite suggested, "Carine."

The girl wrinkled her nose.

"What about Halia?" Endymion suggested.

Another headshake.

"Aina." Kunzite's voice was soft.

She met his eyes and nodded.

"Aina it is then," Endymion announced. "Now, we'd better get back to the camp before the sergeant sends someone after us."

Bringing Aina to the encampment was instructive. Nearly all of her wariness and fearfulness returned. She spent most of the time nearly pressed into Kunzite's side, and it was quickly decided amongst the Shittenou that she would sleep in their tent. She seemed to feel safe with the five of them at least. She watched everything around her with bright blue eyes that were far more observant than most would expect. She ate the stew given her for dinner without compliant, and soon after began to doze after that. Kunzite carried her into the tent and tucked her into a bedroll.

Aina slept clutching his cloak around her. Kunzite absently stroked her hair. He wasn't quite sure what they were going to do with this young woman, but he knew they weren't about to abandon her either. Still, her presence would change things, especially when they got her back to the Royal Court. Kunzite sighed. He didn't know what they were going to do about Aina, but he wasn't going to let her be harmed again.


	13. Adjusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the third part in a series. Theme #09: Handicap; Disabilities.

**Adjusting**

Minako stared at her reflection in the mirror. In some ways this was very familiar. The dress was in a style that she wasn't familiar with, and it was dove grey instead of her normal golden tones, but she had grown up in Royal Courts. That didn't stop her from being nervous. The two weeks she spent traveling with the Shittenou and their prince had been all right. Minako had felt at ease with them; they were very much like Serenity and the Senshi in many ways. There was also the fact that after two weeks in one another's presence, the six of them had figured out how to communicate a little.

But now they had returned to Earth's Royal Court, and Minako was about to be present to the entire court. She knew how to behave in a Royal Court at least even if this one was not exactly like her own. But there were other factors as well. The lack of a voice frustrated her to no end. Kunzite and the others were good at interpreting her hand gestures and expression, but no one else would be. Plus there was the fact that there had not been a female included in the Prince's personal court until now as far as she could tell. It was clear to Minako that she had been pretty much adopted by the Shittenou. While she wasn't exactly one of them, she was also more apart of their circle than anyone else at the palace seemed to be.

To be completely honest, Mina did not know what she would have done without them. She did not know how long she had been kept captive. In some ways, that didn't matter. With both her bond and all access to the power of Venus cut off, Serenity and the other Senshi would assume she was dead. Her powers would be passed on to another Venusian worth of them. There were some other girls within the wider Royal Family who could take up the mantel of Sailor Venus. Which hurt more than just about anything. Minako was very aware of the fact that she would probably never see her home or anyone she knew again.

But at least the Shittenou had taken care of her. And she had come to like them a great deal as she got to know them. They had spent two weeks on the road together while Prince Endymion made sure that they hadn't missed anyone in their recent raids. It was an interesting experience to say the least. It was clear to Mina that she had been adopted. She had learned quite a bit about the group dynamic as well.

Like Serenity was with the Senshi, Endymion was the glue that held the group together. Kunzite was her own counterpart, though far more stoic than she had ever been. And while he might seem like the stern leader to most, Mina and the others got to see the other sides of him. He was the one the others went to for advice and the solid support of the group. Zoisite reminded her of Ami with his quicksilver mind. However, the youngest of the Shittenou was nearly as outgoing as Ami was shy. He had a quick sense of humor and a talent for mischief he shared with Jadeite. The medic of the group, he had been the one to fuss over her the most and insist on feeding her up. Oddly enough, Jadeite reminded her of Rei, though she had the feeling that the two of them might kill one another. Sharp and sarcastic, he was often the one to notice the little things out of place that signaled danger. Twice he'd saved the group from ambushes due to that skill. Nephrite is the one Minako has the most trouble getting a handle on. He was rather down to earth and yet had the strongest magical talents of all of them save for the prince. Just after they had first rescued her, he'd told that the stars had called her a golden comet that would bring change. Minako had no clue what that meant.

In those earliest days, they had surrounded her and protected her both from any dangers they faced and from herself. Minako would admit that after being rescued despair had hit her hard. She had spent her life training to be Sailor Venus, and now all of that was gone. There was every chance that she would never go home. The members of the of Alliance did not have contact with Earth, and she had no way of letting them know she was even still alive let alone where she was. So all that was left to her was to make a new life here as best she could. Minako took comfort from the fact that she wasn't alone, and that at the very least she had five allies here that were quickly becoming friends.

Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, Minako squared her shoulders and steeled herself. She could do this. It did not matter that this was a foreign setting and that she no longer had a voice. She wasn't alone. And even if this wasn't the life that she had been trained and raised for, that did not mean she couldn't build a new life that mattered for herself here. Sound in the doorway forced her to turn. Kunzite was standing in the doorway, watching her. His eyes flicked over her wardrobe, assessing her. She cocked her head to the side, waiting of his verdict.

He walked towards her, his hands busy unclasping the chain that he always wore around his neck. A single piece of polished kunzite hung from it. All of the Shittenou wore similar necklaces with their namesake stones. Minako had assumed it was some sort of symbol of their authority. He fasted the necklace around her neck.

"There." Kunzite took her hand in his. "Ready, Aina?"

She nodded. Kunzite smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"Don't look so worried. This is merely a formality. Endymion made you a part of his personal court. All of this is window dressing. The only people you have to worry about are Endymion's parents, and they're already impressed. You're ours now, Aina. We very seldom adopt people into our inner circle, and we don't let them go once they're there. You are safe."

Mina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Trust Kunzite to see through to her greatest fear; he more than any of the others seemed to understand her. She was terrified of being left alone in this foreign world without the ability to speak. Smiling at Kunzite, she nodded again. She could do this.


	14. Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the fourth part in a series. Theme #11: Clemency.

**Battle**

Kunzite was pretty sure he had fallen in love. Aina was intelligent, kind, cunning, and dangerous, all wrapped up in a beautiful package. And for the first time in his life, Kunzite wasn't concerned about the consequences of falling in love. Aina understood. She understood duty and loyalty and that his duty to his prince came first. She might not be able to speak, but she communicated effectively enough with the Shittenou in general. Kunzite found that he hardly had to rely on the rudimentary sign language they'd devised to understand her meaning. But everyone in their circle understood her, and she understood them. It was a far cry from many of the court ladies.

As far as they had been able to tell, Aina was priestess trained, most likely by an isolated sect. She knew the traditions and rituals of the court, but only in older, more traditional forms. And very few women of nobility (which Aina so clearly was) were trained to fight if they were raised outside of a temple. Given that Aina had never made any attempt to show them where she might be from, the Shittenou were also assuming that whatever community she had belonged to had been destroyed when she was captured. That would be par for the course with those particular opponents.

They had learned of her fighting skills quite early on. There had been an ambush that hadn't been spotted before hand, and Aina, still weak and recovering from her ordeal, had acquitted herself better than most of their men. The sword she had taken from one of the soldiers was too large for her, but after that they had made sure she was properly outfitted. And included in their sparring sessions. When it came to skill with a sword, really only Endymion and himself matched her skills. Not to mention the fact that she was rather skilled with a number of other weapons.

In fact, Aina's skills had actually solved several problems that the Shittenou had before. For example, Aina's presence with Endymion when he was mostly dealing with the ladies of the court and their mothers was a welcome safeguard. No one expected Aina to be acting as a bodyguard, and given the way that she treated the prince and most of the Shittenou like they were her brothers, most of the court ladies did not see her as a threat either. The only one that Aina treated differently was Kunzite, and that was perfectly fine with him. He'd been drawn to Aina from the start, and she had been a welcome addition to their inner circle, even if he did have to put up with teasing from the others.

What they hadn't told Aina was that the necklace she always wore, the one that had been Kunzite's, marked her as close to being betrothed to him as possible without any sort of formal asking and announcement. At the time when Aina had been introduced to the Royal Court, it had been a way to force the court to accept Aina without much question. Showing up with a former prisoner who no one had ever heard of even if she was obviously nobility of some sort and making her a part of the prince's inner circle could have been difficult. But with Aina as one of the Shittenou's close companion, it was much harder for anyone to refute her presence. And in the end, Kunzite had never reclaimed the necklace. Aina had tried to give it back once, but her clear reluctance and the wistful glance she'd given the pendant had Kunzite wrapping her fingers back around the necklace. She always wore it now.

And while Aina might not know the full significance of the necklace, she clearly did know that whatever it was between them was something more than the easy camaraderie that she shared with the others. It was Kunzite that Aina went to when she had concerns or nightmares. While she was affectionate with all of them, it was Kunzite's lap that she liked to curl up in when they held their meetings. It was an odd little courtship the two of them shared and not at all to court standards, but Kunzite found that it suited them both just fine, even with the teasing from Endymion and the others.

For all intents and purposes, Aina basically was one of the Shittenou. The only secret she was not aware of at this point was Endymion's recent meeting and subsequent infatuation with the Moon Princess. And that was only because the girl hadn't come back yet, though she had promised Endymion she would. The Shittenou had all decided that they needed Aina's judgment on the girl. She seemed just as infatuated with Endymion as he was with her, but Aina had proved time and again to be a better judge of the court ladies' intentions than they had. If Aina approved, then they would start figuring out how to make this work. Technically, contact with anyone from the Moon Kingdom was forbidden, but Endymion had been breaking rules and traditions ever since childhood.

Glancing around the small antechamber, Kunzite frowned when he realized that both Aina and Zoisite were not there. That could spell trouble. The two of them were far more mischievous together than Zoisite had been on his own. Moments later footsteps could be heard in the hall, and Zoisite appeared in the doorway with a bright grin.

"What do you think?"

Aina stepped into the room. Instead of her usual court dress, she wore a grey uniform that almost matched the rest of the Shittenou's. Hers was clearly tailored for a woman with the jacket cut with a v-neck instead of a high collar, and the trim on hers was the golden yellow color that Aina seemed to favor above all others. A slim chain was wrapped around her waist in lieu of a belt, and Kunzite was well aware that she could use it as a weapon. Her hair was confined to the thick braid she typically wore when sparing, and Kunzite's necklace was displayed resting between her collar bones.

Endymion smiled. "Making a point are we?"

Zoisite shrugged. "Aina's not a court lady. Besides, we've all been feeling uneasy. If something happens, a court dress would be a hindrance."

Endymion sighed. "You all our overreacting."

Jadeite frowned. "Lady Beryl's attention is reaching rather obsessive levels, and she has never taken refusal well."

Kunzite nodded. "It never hurts to be prepared. We've survived more than one fight because of that. Are we ready?"

There were nods all around, and the group took their regular places for their entry into the grand hall. Aina slipped into place at his side, her hand tucked in the crook of his elbow with a smile. Kunzite was pretty sure that he had fallen in love with her, and he did not mind in the slightest.

* * *

Minako appreciated the familiarity of the court sessions. There were still things about both living on Earth and without her voice that threw her on a regular basis, but some things kept her grounded. The routine of the Royal Court was one of them. The Shitennou were another. They had become her brothers as much as the Senshi were her sisters. Well, except for Kunzite. Her feelings toward Kunzite were not at all brotherly. Serenity had always teased that when the Senshi of Venus fell, she would fall hard, and her princess had been right.

Thankfully, it did not appear to be unrequited. Kunzite might be reserved, but he was openly affectionate with her, and there had been three toe curling, spine tingling kisses as well. The frustrating part was not being able to articulate her feelings to him the way she wanted to. They had never really discussed what this was between them, and as much as Mina wanted to ask, she couldn't. Kunzite was going to have to be the one to bring the subject up, and waiting had never exactly been a skill of hers.

Still, she was happy here. She had found a place where she belonged, and even if she would always miss and mourn her former life, Minako knew that she would be able to both survive and thrive here. In the six months that she'd been here, she'd found a second home. Kunzite nodded at her, and they made their entrance.

Court was fairly typical today. There was the regular slate of petitions interspersed with favor currying and court ladies flirting with Endymion. The prince had been immune to most of that so far for which Mina was glad. There really was not a single woman in his court that was a suitable match for the prince in either temperament or in the skills that were needed to help run a kingdom. Endymion needed a partner as much as he needed a wife, and there was no one that Aina had met yet in the Royal Court who was up for the task. Everything was just fine until the woman stalked into the room.

She was dressed as the Senshi of Venus. Minako did not recognize her, though the woman was clearly Venusian. She was older than Minako though, and more than that, she felt wrong. Beside Kunzite, Mina tensed, and he cast a concerned look at her. But she did not have a chance to give any explanation or warning before the woman stalked up to Endymion.

"How dare you corrupt my princess? You are hardly worthy of the least of us let alone the best of us, and you think to seduce her? Thankfully, I'm here to nip that infatuation in the bud."

The other woman raised her hands in a familiar gesture. She didn't think; she just reacted. Minako threw herself into the attack, ignoring the cries of the Shittenou. It should have hurt her. Instead, Minako felt familiar power fill her. It wasn't full strength, but she could feel the power of Venus coursing through her once again. Her power had come home to her, and she was not about to let this interloper harm her new family.

Two things were immediately clear. Her power was weak but there as were her bonds to the other Senshi and Serenity. But also, now there was another bond, just barely there and not fully formed, that connected her to Kunzite. She had hoped for that, but she'd never really expected to find someone she could bond with. But she would worry about that later, first she needed to deal with this imposter.

It was very clear that the woman hadn't expected her. She was staring at Mina in shock.

Minako smiled. "That was a mistake."

Her voice was slightly rusty, but it was her own. The other woman narrowed her eyes.

"That's impossible. You're dead."

"It would seem otherwise."

The fight itself was brief. Mostly because when the Shittenou shook off their shock and joined, the imposter decided to beat a retreat. That just left Minako to deal with the aftermath. Everyone was staring at her, even her Shittenou. Taking a deep breath and touching Kunzite's pendant for comfort, Minako turned to face the King and Queen of Earth, dropping into her most formal curtsy. She only had a small window of opportunity to try and mitigate the situation.

"Your majesties, I apologize for the attack from that imposter. Please do not take it as a true example of the behavior of my countrymen. My true name is Minako of Venus, and until that attack, I truly was mute. The power was mine, stolen from my when I was captured and tortured, and when she attacked me with it, some returned to me." Minako had not yet risen nor had she turned to check the reactions of the men who had become her surrogate family. "I pledge upon my honor that I am no threat to your kingdom or your people. You have given me hospitality and home that I could not have asked for. I am as much Aina of Earth now as I am Minako of Venus. I apologize for any deception on my part, but I could not help it."

The monarchs shared a look with one another. There was a dreadful moment of silence, and Minako worried that she had just lost everything for a second time. Then the king's lips quirked up in a smile.

"Rise, Lady Aina. I suppose a more detailed explanation is in order, but that can perhaps wait for a more private venue."

As she rose to her feet, the queen smiled as well. "And perhaps you could tell us your proper title as Minako of Venus."

Mina nods. "Princess. Crown Princess of Venus, and heir presumptive of the Moon Kingdom."

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches the Shittenou trading glances. The queen nods.

"We shall adjourn then, Princess Minako, in half an hour and hear your full story."

Minako bobs a smaller curtsy in response and steps to the side of the dais, retaking her spot at Kunzite's side. She glance up at him, suddenly nervous.

"Kunzite." Her voice was soft.

He smiled and took her hand. "My princess."

She smiled back. She could finally breathe again. She had clemency for now, and perhaps the chance to reclaim some of what she lost. And she hadn't lost her new family. At least not for another half hour.


	15. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the fifth part in a series. Theme #05: Death Sentence.

**Return**

She was wearing Kunzite's cloak, the one he'd given her when he'd first found her. Minako found it comforting. She could use that right now. She was now both Minako of Venus and Aina of Earth, and she did not know how to bring the two together. But she was going to have to try. Mina could not let things stand as they were with an imposter of some sort guarding her princess.

The Shittenou had understood. They would have felt the same. So they had quickly put together a plan. It did come with a fair amount of risk, but the six of them had decided that it was worth, especially with the revelation that Endymion had met Serenity previously. If that relationship was going to work out, they needed to have the Moon Kingdom in contact with Earth without there being a death penalty involved. Besides, given that the Shittenou had saved her life, she should be able to pull this off without getting anyone killed.

But that did not mean she wasn't nervous. It had been almost a year since she'd been home. Her friends and family thought she was dead. She was about to challenge the imposter who had stolen both her powers and her place, and she wasn't back to her full strength yet, meaning that the imposter probably still retained at least some of her powers. She was bringing with her five men who could quite possibly be killed simply for setting foot on the Moon, and there was always the possibility that she herself could be executed for her time on Earth.

Kunzite rest a hand at the small of her back. "Breathe, Aina."

Mina leaned into him. He stilled called her Aina half the time, though she did not mind that. Their relationship had not changed much since the revelation of her true identity. There had only really been two changes. There had been mutual verbal declarations of affection between them. Minako still wore Kunzite's stone around her neck, but now in its place, he wore the delicate little pendant that marked her as Princess of Venus around his neck. It wasn't a formal betrothal, they needed permission from both of their lieges for that, but it was very close.

He pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, drawing the hood of her cloak up over her head. The others were similarly attired. They did not want to be noticed until the proper moment. Proper timing was going to be a big part of this plan working. Glancing around, Minako held out her hands. Within moments, they were all linked in a circle of held hands. Minako closed her eyes and reached for her power, crafting a teleportation spell. There was the familiar jolt of disorientation, and she opened her eyes.

Swaying just slightly, she smiled. They stood in a little used room in the palace. She and the other girls had used to use it for secret meetings.

"Aina?" Zoisite's voice was worried.

She smiled up at them. "Just give me a moment. I'm not used to teleporting more than just myself."

Once she was steady again on her feet, Minako led them through empty corridors and back halls, attempting to avoid any sightings. Even in their grey cloaks, the six of them together might attract notice. She had timed their trip to be after court had already started. Of course, it helped that she knew all of the entrances and exits to the grand hall. Pausing by the door, she took a deep breath. It was time to do this.

"Remember, don't make a move until I signal, and follow my lead." She looked around at the group surrounding her. "We won't get a second chance at this."

They slipped into the room, and Minako carefully maneuvered them into a position towards the back of the room but with an unobstructed view. Mina's eyes immediately find Serenity on the dais, her princess sitting at her mother's right hand with the Senshi ranged behind her. Minako winced. She could see the effect her absence had had on them, and she could see the fact that they weren't working as a unit with the imposter Venus. That little bit of extra space between Venus and Mars told her everything and worried her more.

Behind her Kunzite shifted closer, providing silent support. The waiting was the hard part. Minako needed to wait until Queen Selenity opened the floor to any petitioner who had a grievance. That was always at the end of the court session though which meant that she would spend most of her time here waiting and observing. And what Mina saw worried her. There was a much greater level of intrigue and distrust going on than when she had left. In fact, it was very much like the currents that had started swirling around the Royal Court of Earth lately. It all made Mina uneasy.

Finally, Selenity sat back on her throne and spoke. "Who would bring before me any grievances to be dealt with?"

Minako stepped forward, her face still obscured by her hood. "I would."

Selenity frowned at her. "Speak."

She clasp her hands together in front of herself to keep them from shaking. "The woman currently acting as the Sailor Senshi of Venus is an imposter. She is complicit in the kidnapping and torture of Princess Minako of Venus as well as being guilty of using stolen powers."

The room was absolutely silent. It was an extremely serious accusation, one of the few charges that could possibly bring a death sentence.

"And who are you to claim this?" Selenity finally asked.

Minako flipped her hood down to reveal her face. She met Selenity's eyes and keep her gaze there despite the gasps and murmurs from the rest of the court. It was Selenity that she needed to convince to hear her out.

"Minako, Princess of Venus, Sailor Venus, leader of the Sailor Senshi, Lady Aina of Earth."

It was a risk including her Terran identity, but it was too much of who she was now to leave out.

"She's lying!" The imposter burst out before anyone else could say anything. "We all know that Princess Minako is dead. The powers of Venus would not have come to me otherwise. She's some filthy Terran who has delusions of grander. We should destroy her now."

Behind her, Mina was aware of the boys shifting slightly. She took a step forward, unfastening the clasp of the cloak. A slight shrug of her shoulders was all it took to send the cloak pooling around her feet. The dress she wore was from Earth and the height of their fashion, but it was also in Mina's colors. She had deliberately styled her hair in the fashion that Selenity's court was most familiar with seeing, including the bright red bow. Her imposter might claim she was a fake, but the first impression that everyone was going to get was that she looked like herself.

The queen spoke. "If you are who you claim to be, why have you been absent for so long?"

"I was taken prisoner during the attack on her highness, your majesty. I was tortured and kept prisoner for some time after that. When I was rescued by members of the Terran court, I had no ability to access my powers nor the ability to speak. The Terran court was gracious enough to take me in and care for me. Yesterday, there was an attack on Prince Endymion by your imposter. When I intercepted one of her attacks, my powers began to return to me as did my voice."

So far so good. At least Selenity appeared to be listening to her. Serenity and the rest of the Senshi definitely were.

"Can you confirm this claim that you were on Earth?"

Minako gestured to Endymion who stepped forward and removed his own hood.

"I can confirm it, your majesty. I am Endymion, the Crown Prince of the Earth Kingdom. It has been the privilege of myself and my court to provide hospitality to her highness during her time of trial."

"And the men with you?" Selenity asked.

"My Shittenou. They are the equivalent of Princess Serenity's Senshi I believe."

Minako's eyes shifted to her imposter. There was only a bare moment of warning that she had before the attack came. Kunzite reacted before she did. One hand on her elbow, he pulled her out of the line of fire even as a magical shield sprang to life. Mina trusted the other Shittenou to take care of Endymion and focused instead on her opponent. There was one way to shut down this fight sooner rather than later; she just wasn't entirely sure that she had access to enough of her own power to pull it off. Catching Kunzite's eye, she let him slide into position so he was guarding her back. Then Minako closed her eyes and reached.

The sword was the symbol of the leader of the Sailor Senshi, and in truth, it had only been presented to Minako upon her sixteenth birthday, despite the fact that she had been leading the Senshi far earlier than that. The sword wasn't a Venusian artifact though. It was an heirloom of the Moon Kingdom, and the fact that Minako was Serenity's cousin as well as one of her Senshi had allowed her to use a weapon that had been mostly just ceremonial until now. And there had been no one beside herself who had been able to summon the sword to themselves except for her. Well, Serenity probably could have done it had she tried, but the princess hadn't ever shown the inclination to do so.

Her own abilities were not quite enough to call the sword to her. She just didn't have enough of her power back to do that with the other things she'd already done today. Her bond with Serenity flickered into life. Minako opened her eyes just in time to see Serenity make a delicate gesture with her hand. Then all of her powers came flooding back in a rush. Moments later, the sword was in her hand, and Kunzite was wearing an expression that was a mixture of pride and awe.

It was clear from the looks on the Royal Court's faces that her identity was no longer in question. Unfortunately, the imposter clearly had come to the same conclusion. There was a brief scuffle with Mercury (who was the closest Senshi to her) before she teleported away. Minako swore, loudly. Jadeite shook his head at her, his hood now thrown back.

"I knew we shouldn't have let you come to that training session."

She stuck her tongue out at him. Selenity cleared her throat, looking vaguely amused.

"Perhaps we should retire to my study for a full account of events?"

The moment Mina had entered Selenity's private study she was nearly bowled over by Serenity. It very quickly became a group hug with the rest of the Senshi joining in. Over Serenity's shoulder, Minako caught Kunzite's eye and smiled. This wasn't completely over yet, but she was home now, she hadn't lost what she'd gained either.


	16. Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the sixth part in a series. Theme #29: Falling Through Time.

**Reunions**

She was running late, but Minako couldn't bring herself to care. She knew exactly what was waiting for her when she got to the studio, and she wasn't looking forward to it. Besides, she would make the argument that her education was far more important that her current career. Even if both her parents and her agent would disagree that that. But Minako was smart enough to realize that she wasn't going to be able to be a teen pop idol forever, and she really would like to have something to fall back on when that particular part of her career ended.

Thankfully, the studio wasn't too far from her school, and hopefully, she could just slip in the back door and no one would notice that she was late. However, she hadn't expected a police car at the front door when she arrived. Something was going on, though she couldn't really see anything through the windows. At least it would probably be a distraction from her tardiness. Mina slipped inside.

She couldn't help but notice the tall police officer in the lobby. His white blond hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and there was something about the slate grey eyes that slid over her that made Minako pause.

"Miss?"

She smiled. "Minako Aino. I was supposed to be here for practice about twenty minutes ago."

He frowned slightly. "You're the idol Ai then?"

She nodded, biting her lip. "Yes."

"I'm afraid your stalker has escalated, Miss Aino. There's been an incident."

Minako felt like she needed to sit down.

* * *

Kenzie Kitahoshi MacLeod frowned as the young woman fumbled for a chair to sit down in. She was not anything like he had expected. He had expected the young idol to be far more demanding than the quiet young woman who currently looked very concerned. Both her agent and her parents had been unhelpful and a pain to work with for all that they had been the ones to call the police. Kenzie had expected the idol to be more of the same. He hated celebrity cases for a reason. He'd dealt with them before which was why he'd been assigned this particular case.

"Is everyone all right?"

He nodded, discarding all of his half formed opinions of her so far. "The tech who found the package just had a nasty shock that's all."

"And they finally called the police in to handle this?" There as almost something desperate in her voice.

"Yes." He nodded. "Though you say that as if this has been an ongoing problem. My understanding was that you just started to receive letters from the stalker this week."

Her eyes went wide. "I've been getting things from him for the past six months, Officer?"

"Kenzie MacLeod."

Kenzie's eyes narrowed. He did not like being lied to, and he was pretty sure that she wasn't the one lying. She was petite and blond with bright blue eyes that weren't hiding anything at the moment. He would not make the mistake of underestimating her. He also had the nagging sense that he knew her from somewhere.

"Would English be easier? I'm fluent in it as well."

He shook his head. "Japanese is fine. I'm fluent. My mom's Japanese."

She smiled at him. "Is there some where private we can talk? I'll fill you in on the whole story about the stalker, but my manager or my parents might interrupt if we're not careful."

Kenzie could definitely see that happening. Hopefully, his partner could keep them distracted while he got the information he needed.

"They gave us one of the smaller studios for interviews."

He watched as she curled up in a chair, bringing her knees up to her chin. To be honest, Kenzie didn't know what to expect from Minako Aino at this point. She had already surprised him several times. Her lips quirked up slightly.

"My public image does me no favors for the most part. I'm really not the airhead that I appear to be. I mean, I always am forgetting things and have a tendency to ramble when I'm nervous which I'm doing now, aren't I?" She sighed. "So the stalker. Like I said, I startled getting letters six months ago."

Minako was able to lay out a clear chain of events in detail for him. She even had kept all of the various letters and photographs she'd been sent, despite the fact that her manager had claimed they'd been destroyed.

"I don't have them with me, but I can drop them off at the police station if they'd be helpful."

"They would. Thank you."

"I'll get them to you as soon as possible." She smiled.

There wasn't time for Kenzie to even form another question before the door was flung open by Minako's manager.

"There you are! Are you down with her yet? We have things that need to get done."

Kenzie surreptitiously handed her his card. It was clear that he wasn't going to be able get any more useful information right now. Minako's manager was haranguing her about being late, and he did not like the way her manager cut her off every time she tried to get a word in edgewise. Nor did he like the slightly scared look in Minako's eyes. But she tightened her grip on his card and then to his utter surprise, kissed him on the cheek. She pulled back, and their eyes met. Kenzie found himself inundated with the feeling of falling through time. He could swear he knew this young woman.

"Thank you for your help, Officer MacLeod. I appreciate it."

She smiled slightly, and Kenzie knew he would be seeing her again.


	17. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the seventh part in a series. Theme #28: Fettered By Chains.

**Freedom**

Minako let out a little sigh as she sipped at her coffee. It had become habit to meet up with Kenzie MacLeod on a weekly basis. Ostensibly, he was giving her updates on her stalker case (there really hadn't been much in the way of developments there though), but more than anything else, it had become an escape for her. She wasn't entirely sure what it was that made them click so well together. On outwards appearances, they were very different people. Maybe it was the fact that both of them had lived in England for part of their lives or if it was just some quirk of their personalities.

Whatever the reason, Minako was more than happy to find excuses to spend time with Kenzie. He treated her like a normal human being. And while he might not have found her stalker yet, he had been able to provide her with quite a bit of good advice that had helped ease Mina's anxiety levels. And to tell the truth, it was nice to have someone to talk to who she didn't have to worry about saying whatever she wanted to. Kenzie wasn't about to report back to her parents or her manager.

That actually was a real concern anymore. Ever since Mina had expressed the slightest bit of interest in easing out of her idol persona and into a more sustainable career role both her parents and her manager had gotten a lot more controlling. It was frustrating in more ways than one. It also did not help that Minako had never really settled in all that well since their move to Japan. It had only been about a year since the permanent move, and while Minako was Japanese, she still didn't really find herself at home here in Japan yet.

"Are you all right?"

She gave Kenzie a half smile. "Tired more than anything else."

"You're working too hard again."

"So says the police officer."

"A police officer who has insane friends who drag him off to 'have fun' on a regular basis." He smiled at her. "You need some girlfriends."

Mina shrugged. "I've never really had those."

"I know the feeling. Then I got to university and was pretty much adopted by a group of guys."

They chatted for another half hour before Mina realized that she had better get going. She sighed again.

"Time to go?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Same time next week?"

"Of course. I'll call you if there are any major developments."

"Thanks, Kenzie."

"Not a problem, love." He kissed her forehead before they parted ways.

There was something about the Scottish police detective that just clicked the right way with Minako. She was more than glad that he'd been the one to be called out on her particular case. Technically, he was only here in Tokyo for a year as part of an exchange program, but given that a number of his friends lived in Japan, Mina wouldn't be surprised if he found some excuse to stay longer than that year. Mina hoped he did. Seeing him was currently the bright spot in her week.

Though there was the fact that Minako would swear that she somehow knew Kenzie MacLeod. She just could not seem to place where she knew him from. There were no real memories. Just the vague feeling of familiarity whenever they were together. It didn't really matter in the long run probably, but it was a puzzle that Mina worried at sometimes. She expected that she should be able to remember meeting someone like Kenzie before.

Wrapping her coat around herself more tightly, Minako began her trek back to the recording studio. They were working on her newest album, and unfortunately, Mina did not have a lot of enthusiasm for the project. In part because it was just more of the same thing she'd been doing for years. None of the songs were particularly interesting or original. Minako actually had tried her hand at writing a few pieces herself this time around, but none of them had been deemed "appropriate" for the album. It was just another item in a long list that told her she needed to make a change in her career.

Arriving at the studio mostly just led to another haranguing lecture from her manager and a whole new schedule of events for her to attend and perform at. The new schedule irked her the most. It wiped any chance she had for anything resembling a normal life for the next three months. She'd miss school on a regular basis, she'd be in and out of town on a regular basis spending more time on the road then at home, and she'd be doing all this with a group of people she didn't really like.

And when she'd brought up her objections to all of this, she'd been shouted down. Minako bit her lip. She was sick of other people making decisions for her. They weren't going to bully her anymore. She could not keep putting up with this. It was making her crazy. She was almost eighteen, and she was barely in control of her life. That needed to stop now.

"I'm terminating my contract. I'll have a written statement to that affect to you tomorrow."

Then Minako walked out. She managed to get two blocks down the street before she realized just what she had done and started to panic a little. The next thing she knew she was hailing a taxi. She gave directions and then stared blankly out of the window until they arrived. This probably wasn't her most thought out plan, but she couldn't think of a better one at the moment. Several hours later when he came home, Kenzie clearly wasn't expecting to find her on his doorstep. Minako gave him a small smile.

"Hi."

"Hey. Are you all right?"

She paused a moment. "I'm not sure. But I think I'm going to be. Do you mind if I crash here tonight?"

He smiled, unlocking the door. "No. Come on in."

Mina let out a breath. She didn't really know what she was going to next. But at least she finally felt like she was going to decide what that was.


	18. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the eighth part in a series. Theme #01: Water Bottles.

**Home**

Neither of them had intended for it to turn into a permanent living arrangement. But Minako never ended up finding another place to live. And Kenzie didn't really mind having her there. Mina just fit somehow. She'd hit it off with both Zach and Jaden from the start. The three of them had quickly become thick as thieves. It had taken a little longer for Mamoru and Nathan to warm up to her, but these days she was just another part of the group. Of course, that had meant they'd needed to let her in on their secrets.

To Kenzie rather utter surprise, she'd accepted that they were the reincarnations of a millennia old prince and his generals rather well. Admittedly, Minako's aplomb in part came from a conviction that this explained her weird déjà vu when she first met them all. There was always the chance that she was a reincarnation herself. None of them really had clear memories of their past lives, and what memories they did have weren't always helpful. And anyway, Minako was surprisingly helpful in providing another perspective on dealing with their situation, especially when it involved the girls.

She's a permanent part of things now. It was not an entirely smooth transition, either her move into the apartment as a full time resident or their becoming a couple. In their personal habits, they were actually complete opposites very often. He was neat to a fault while Mina practiced something she called a "neat mess". To be fair, there was some sort of organizational principal behind it; however, Minako was the only one who understood it. Still, Kenzie's loft changed gradually.

Bottles of juice and soda joined the collection of water bottles in his fridge. Junk food appeared in the cupboards. Fashion magazines and romance novels joined his newspapers and books. A keyboard took up residence in the living room area. Kenzie had to get used to calling home when he unexpectedly ended up working late. Mina learned how to do laundry. They learned not to try and talk before either of them had a cup of tea in the morning. Little things and big things too. Kisses before leaving for work and when arriving home. Cuddling together on the couch while Kenzie read the newspaper and Minako ran lines for whatever her latest project was.

Minako might have ditched her manager and extricated herself from her family's clutches, but she still had contractual obligations for several TV shows and at least one album to complete. But at least she was in charge of things now. And she might still have a stalker (though his activity had died down to almost nothing lately), but she also had a place where she felt safe. Kenzie found that not having to come home to an empty apartment after a bad day a work helped. He hadn't really expected to end up with a live in girlfriend, and he had to admit that sometimes he worried about their age difference, but it felt like she belonged here. His space had become their space.

There was something about spotting Minako in the window when he came home that warmed him. And really there was nothing better after a long day for both of them than curling up on the couch with takeout and watching BBC shows. His apartment had been his residence for the past six months, but now it felt like home.


	19. Senshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the first part in a series. Theme #21: Inter-Manifestation.

**Senshi**

Minako had known, objectively at least, that her boys were involved in a rather serious battle between good and evil. They kept her out of that as much as possible, but she had a general idea of what was going on. Between the fact that they almost always seemed to come to her for advice when they had problems with the Sailor Senshi (Minako was of the opinion that half of their problems would be solved if they would just admit to the romantic tensions there and do something about it) and fact that the pendant of Kenzie's she now always wore tended to react when he used his powers, it was hard not to know.

Bit that was different than actually being there. Seeing one of their fights. It was supposed to be a nice afternoon out for the six of them. Zach and Jaden had declared the need for a break and organized a picnic. The day had been sunny and warm. It just figured something would have to ruin it. Mina had watched, almost detached from things, as the monsters had appeared. She didn't think that this was an ordinary fight. Especially not when the Sailor Senshi had shown up before long to join in the fight, and yet things remained stalemated. Or worse really.

They weren't exactly losing, but it was clear that this fight was not going well. Mina stayed out of the fray, hidden behind a stand of trees. She didn't want to distract anyone. She hated being helpless. There was nothing she could really do but stand there and watch, her hand clutching Kenzie's pendant. It glowed when he used his powers, and its warmth was the only thing that kept her hands from being ice cold at this point. Her knuckles were white on the hand that clutched it.

Her eyes were trained on Kenzie as he fought. She should probably refer to him as Kunzite in his transformed state, but her brain insisted that he was still her Kenzie. He was fighting alone. There were only four senshi after all, and while they had paired up with the other Shittenou to fight, Kenzie was the odd man out. And she was terrified for him.

Minako saw the blow coming before he did. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, not caring that she was exposing herself. She had to do something. That was when she felt a stirring of power. Words flowed out of her mouth without much thought as if some sort of inner manifestation of herself had put them there. There was a flash of light followed by more words popping into her head as if by magic. The resulting bolt of power that struck Kenzie's attacker was unexpected but not unwelcome. Kenzie's turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and she threw herself into the fight, exploiting the window of opportunity her attack had opened.

It wasn't really until after the fight was over with and the monsters were destroyed that Mina really had a chance to take in what had happened. Kenzie reached for her gloved hand.

"Should have known. This makes far more sense than anything else we came up with."

She blinked up at him, not quite comprehending. It really hadn't sunk in yet.

"Sailor Venus," Kenzie's smile was gentle.

The words brought memories to the fore of a past life that she'd been dreaming of lately even if she didn't know what it was at the time. She swayed a little on her feet as she felt her transformation disappear. Kenzie smiled at her, glancing over at the group of Senshi staring at her a little ways away.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. Can we go home?"

Kenzie kissed her gently. "You can meet your fellow Senshi later, I suppose. Are you all right, love?"

"I don't know. Everything keeps changing."

She'd escaped the clutches of her family and her manager, was trying to make changes to her career, had acquired a boyfriend and moved in with him, and now she was the reincarnation of a past warrior who was engaged in a battle between good and evil. All within the last six months. It was a little much to take in. Kenzie wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"You'll be fine. Let's slip out now if you want to go. The boys will probably descend on us with take out this evening."

Arm in arm, they quietly left, and Mina knew that once again, her life had changed.


	20. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is the last part in a series. Theme #22: Blank.

**Together**

Kenzie's hand was a warm spot at the small of her back. Minako took a deep breath, feeling nervous. Kenzie pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Stop fretting, love. They're looking forward meeting you."

She bit her lip. She knew she shouldn't be this nervous. Technically, this was a reunion of sorts. She had met these girls before. Of course, it was in a past life, and they were all slightly different people now, so it was a little like a blank slate. And Minako hadn't really had any girlfriends since she was about five. She hadn't really had any close friends until she'd met Kenzie and his friends. So to be honest, she was frankly terrified that the other Senshi wouldn't like her, and that once they'd expressed their dislike, the Shittenou would start to wonder what they'd seen in her too.

It was probably a silly fear, but it was a real one none the less. She had just started to find a place where it felt like she belonged, and it seemed like it would be such an easy thing to happen at times. Kenzie seemed to sense her racing thoughts.

"You're ours, Mina mine. No matter what else happens, you'll always have a place with us. I have no idea why you fit so well with the Shittenou, but that doesn't change the fact that you do. And we need you as much as you need us." He smiled at her. "Besides, won't it be easier to fix the guys' relationship problems if you know the women involved?"

That startles a laugh out of her, and she's distracted as they top the steps to the temple. Her breath catches in her throat as she took in the sight of four women she'd once known. Their names were slightly different from what they once had been, but the faces were mostly the same. Her memories of the past gave her a window into what they might be like, but nothing was certain. She'd once been like a sister to these women. Would it be the same this time? Kenzie nudged her forward. Minako hesitated. Usagi smiled at her and held out a hand.

"Hey, it's great to meet you. Now the guys don't outnumber us anymore. Are you really Ai? I have all your albums, and I absolutely adore your newest single. Are you going to be releasing a new album soon? I-"

"Let her actually answer, Odango," Rei cut her off.

Mina stepped forward and took the offered hand.


	21. Crazy Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 24: Mole Hill Opening.

**Crazy Faith**

Minako doesn't like to admit it, but she's a blue blood. The daughter of a Japanese diplomat and a minor British noble, she had been moving amongst the high circles of society in both countries since she was a child. Add in the modeling and acting career she'd had from an early age, thanks to her mother's encouragement, Mina was one of the glittering elite, and she knew it. And she did enjoy it some of the time. Of course, some of the time, she hated it just as much. Her habit of slipping off on her own in order to just be a normal person for awhile had never quite endeared itself to her family though.

Kenzie doesn't try to deny his working class background. To be honest, he's rather proud of it. He is the first one in his family to attend University, and the job he chose is the definition of working class. Admittedly, there are times he feels out of place when his closest friends are doctors and academics, but Kenzie knew that he was far happier being a police detective than if he'd chosen another career.

Needless to say that neither of their parents saw any future in their relationship. It wasn't just their rather different backgrounds, though that was a big factor. Their friends at least gave them more of the benefit of the doubt. Both sets of friends were far more worried about the fact that their personalities seemed so completely different on the surface. With Minako being bright and bubbly nearly ninety percent of the time while Kenzie often resembled a stone. Just about everyone believed that they wouldn't work together, and if the two of them were completely honest there were thousands of reasons why they shouldn't be together.

The fact of the matter was though, they just worked together as a couple. The attraction had been there from the start when Kenzie had stumbled upon the pretty blond girl in a tea ship after one hell of a case. Minako had figured it out when it was Kenzie's doorstep she ended up on without thought nearly a month later after a mole hill opening sized mess at on the set that afternoon which had sent her into a meltdown. So over the years they had known one another, the pair had carefully ignored the careful advice and outright orders to maybe try and find a more suitable partner. And they ignored every window of opportunity to say I told you so leading up to their wedding and on the day itself. Still, they both were thinking it when the words were said:

"You may kiss the bride."


	22. Life Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 18: Necrologist/Necrology.

**Life Story**

This was really not what Minako had in mind when she had signed up for the journalism internship. She had been hoping for the glamorous life of an entertainment reporter. What she'd gotten was the thankless task of writing the obituaries when people didn't provide them or helping grieving families write the obituaries, which mostly meant that Mina wrote them herself.

It wasn't exactly what she had anticipated when she'd signed up for it. Still, it was interesting work for the most part. She'd been rather surprised at how fascinating other people's life stories could be. Of course, it did help that she had found a great resource to aid her in her quest for the details of people's lives. During her first few weeks as a necrologist when Mina had been desperate to find information on people who had no relatives, Minako had resorted to going to the closest public library. And the reference librarian there had saved her life.

Kitahoshi Ishida was not what Minako had expected when she had gone to the reference desk. She'd expected a little old lady; she'd gotten a serious young man in his late twenties who made wire rimmed glasses sexy. And he'd been able to help her, nor did he look at her strangely when she told him what she was looking for like just about every else had. Thanks to Kitahoshi, Minako was managing her internship without too much trouble. She was finding that she really did enjoy putting people's stories down on paper.

With a soft sigh, she turned her attention back to the screen in front of her. Now was not the time to get distracted. She needed to get this obituary done before the afternoon deadline. Thinking about Kitahoshi was not going to help her get her work done. Especially since the temptation to go chat with him instead of working was so great. And it wouldn't take much. All she'd have to do was leave the carrel she'd snagged by one of the big picture windows and walk over to the reference desk. It was so very tempting, and far more interesting than trying to sum up Mrs. Kanagawa's life in two hundred words which was all her son would pay for.

Just when she'd decided to screw her assignment in favor of talking with Kitahoshi and maybe getting some caffeine, the man in question chose to drop by the desk she'd staked out to work at. He set a sheaf of newspapers down, glancing at her computer.

"Here are the articles you were asking for. I'm off in twenty minutes. If you're done with your assignment by then, maybe we could get coffee?" His slate gray eyes warm for once and a small smile kissed his lips. "That little place around the corner is nice."

"I'd love to."

She watched him go back to the reference desk with a bright smile then Minako sighed and set to work. She was going to have this written up and submitted with time to spare. She might write about dead people, but that wasn't going to keep her from living her own life.


	23. Straight to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 15: Landscape.

**Straight To You**

She was bored out of her skull. That really shouldn't surprise her. Minako had been to hundreds of parties like this over the years. It was part of being a model and actress. That didn't mean she had to enjoy it. There were aspects of the parties she liked. Mina would admit that she loved to dress up. Still, there was only so much of gossip and brownnosing she could take. And she could admit that she was feeling rather lonely.

Of her close friends, she was the only one who was still single. She wasn't exactly jealous, but she did envy her friends. Just once she'd like to have a date really work out. But between bad dates, awful dates, and completely sycophantic dates, Mina was rather sick of the whole dating scene. But that didn't mean she was not lonely at times as well. And not having a date at parties like these always tended to lead to her getting hit on by the most annoying people who just could not take the hint that she was not interested.

Anyway, this particular party really did not benefit from her presence. She had only played a minor role in this particular production, and she already had her next few roles lined up. Minako carefully skirted the edges of the party looking for a safe escape and avoiding a former coworker who couldn't seem to take no for answer. What she really wanted to be doing was lounging at home and catching up on BBC shows. If she was back in England for work, she might as well enjoy it.

She was sidling her way towards an exit when she caught sight of what looked like a kindred spirit to her. The young man was probably a few years older than she was, and he stood out for two reasons other than the fact that he looked quite uncomfortable. He was at least six feet tall and he was wearing a kilt. His white blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his eyes were a slate grey color. Mina rather liked the look of him. And she definitely recognized the look of boredom and dread on his face like he wanted to blend into the landscape. She decided that a change in plan was in order.

So she made her way over towards his spot by the window instead of the exit.

"Hey."

He started slightly at the sound of her voice. Minako just smiled.

"I'm Minako Aino. I got dragged to this thing thanks to a bit part I had in the mini-series. What about you?"

He held out a hand. "Kenzie MacLeod. I got sent because my boss didn't want to attend."

"Do you have to stay? There's a Starbucks down the street. You look like you could use the caffeine."

He offered her slight smile. "I'd like that. You won't be missed?"

"Not at all. I have to warn you though; we'll probably have to dodge the paparazzi on our way out."

"I'm not afraid of reporters."

"Good. Give me your hand."

She held out her own. He took her hand, looking rather confused. She flashed him a smile, gripping his hand. Even as she opened the door that lead to

"Run!"

The two of them dashed out the door and into the foggy night, ignoring the flash bulbs going off around them. Mina knew that a flush was kissing her cheeks, but she didn't care. Running off with a perfect stranger was far more to her tastes than spending her evening at yet another party. And maybe if she was lucky, he might share her love for BBC mystery shows as well.


	24. Companion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 13: Spilling Shadows.

**Companion**

He had always been in her dreams. Ever since she was little girl. Minako had never asked what he had dreamed of before she came along. She knew he was older than she was, so he had to have dreamed of some thing else before she was born. She didn't always dream of him, but he was in her dreams at least once a week.

The dreams were odd. Minako did not always remember all of their details, but she did remember the important things. At first they had just been companions in the dreamscape, but as she grew older, he began to train her. He trained her to protect herself. How to fight with everything from a sword to her bare hands. He trained her how to be aware of her surroundings without giving that fact away. He taught her how to find escape routes no matter where she went.

All it came in useful, no matter how vaguely remembered, especially once she becomes Sailor V. She knows it is thanks to him that she has succeeded and is still alive. And once she becomes Sailor V, he starts to teach her other things. Things that don't seem important at the time like diplomacy and negotiation. But at least he still remained in her dreams. He was her constant, her aide and confidant. She could tell him anything, all of the little petty things as well as the big ones. She could tell him all the doubts that she couldn't tell Artemis about.

But even as she prepared to leave to return to Japan, he appeared in her dreams with sadness in his grey-green eyes.

"This is the last time I'll see you like this, Mina mine. Our window of opportunity is closing."

She blinks, startled by this revelation. "But you can't go. I need you."

His smile is gentle. "No, you don't. You have everything you need. And even if you don't, you will have your sisters and your princess."

"But I want you."

He kissed her forehead gently, then unclasped the kunzite pendant he always wore. He fastened it around her neck, where it glowed, making the shadows spilling around them fade away for just a moment.

"This isn't goodbye. We'll meet again, love. In person this next time. But it's time for you to use what I've taught you, and for you to stand on your own."

He kisses her again, on the lips this time, and the dream fades away. When she wakes, Minako finds a kunzite pendant on a silver chain around her neck.


	25. Dazzling Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 2: Ocean Depths.

**Dazzling Blue**

The story had traveled far and wide over the years, which didn't surprise Minako. It did have every element of an epic romance. It also didn't surprise her that as the story was spread, people kept getting the details wrong. Now it was true that Princess Serenity, the daughter of the greatest queen of the merpeople, had fallen in love with a human prince. It was also true that she had been so in love with this man that she had been willing to seek out Nehelenia, a sea witch, for a solution.

And that was where things started to get off track. Serenity hadn't gone to see Nehelenia by herself. While Minako and the other senshi might have thought that this was a bad idea, that didn't mean that they were going to stop her. Serenity was one of the stubbornest people in the seas, and they all knew it. No, the best course of action was to go along with it and try to mitigate the damage along the way. So while Serenity might have met with Nehelenia on her own, there was back up near by, and when Nehelenia had given Serenity the potion, Minako had stuck her fin in it.

Her princess was not taking any potion that Minako had not tested first. She would take the potion and go amongst the humans to see if it was even possible for Serenity to fulfill the conditions of the potions. Because not only would the potion take Serenity's voice for the three days it was effective for, if Serenity did not manage to get an offer of marriage from her human in three days, she would turn into sea foam and die at sunset of the third day. And given the Serenity was Selenity's only heir, there was no way that Minako was going to let her risk her life in an impossible quest.

So it was Minako who swam to the surface and took the potion.

"If it works, in four days I'll be waiting at the rocks here," she told Rei, who had come to the surface with her. "If not, you'll just have to figure out another way for Serenity to be with her human."

Rei made a face. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Minako shook her head. "No. Let's not risk anyone else just yet."

Rei nodded and then ducked beneath the waves. Minako had waited until there was no sign of the raven haired mermaid. Then she dragged herself onto the shore, unstoppered the vial from Beryl, and downed the entire thing in one gulp. It only took moments for pain like knives slicing through her fin to start. Minako was grateful when she passed out.

* * *

Kunzite trailed along after his prince and the other shittenou. He was not quite in the mood to humor his prince at the moment, and so lagged behind the group rather than interact with them. Endymion had been moody and impossible ever since he had caught sight of some girl during a storm a few weeks ago. He swore that he had seen a girl with silver blond hair and she'd helped him stay afloat until a boat had been close enough to reach him. Endymion had been crazy about her ever since, and Kunzite was beginning to be sick of hearing about it.

A flash of gold caught his eye, and Kunzite wandered over to the rocks to investigate. When he saw what it was, he yelled for the others, hurrying over himself. The young woman lay unconscious at the waterline, her long golden hair fanned out around her. The waves lapped over her feet and legs, and she was completely naked. By the time the others had reached him, Kunzite had moved her away from the waterline and wrapped her in his cape.

"Is she alive?" Zoisite asked, pushing forward to check the girl's pulse and breathing himself.

"Yes. Her body is still warm as well," Kunzite reported. He shifted his grip on her so that Zoisite could better check her over. "She had no visible injuries, but she could have hit her head."

"Let's get her back to the palace."

As Kunzite got to his feet, her eyes blinked revealing dazzling sapphire eyes.

"Are you all right, little one?" he asked.

She peered up at him and opened her mouth. When no sound came out, she frowned and shrugged her shoulders. Zoisite caught the exchange.

"You can't speak?" he asked.

She nodded.

"But you can understand us?"

She nodded again. Zoisite and Kunzite shared a look. Endymion spoke up then.

"Let's her back to the palace first, then we can worry about the rest of it."

* * *

Minako counted herself lucky that Serenity's human and his companions had been the ones to find her. She had to admit that when she had opened her eyes to meet a pair of concerned grey green ones, something in her chest had fluttered. However, she found that she was soon distracted by the attendants who descended on the group when the arrived at the palace. Minako found herself pulled away from the man who had been carrying her and before she could really process what was happening, she found herself sitting in a tub of warm water while the attendants scrubbed her. Once she'd been dried and dressed, Minako was lead on unsteady legs to a little room where the five men were waiting for her.

The dark haired one whom Serenity had described to came and took her hand, leading her to a chair and gesturing for her to sit.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

Minako simply shrugged her shoulders and offered a half smile. She had not realized just how frustrating it would be to be without her voice. But at least she had managed to end up in the right place.

"You may stay here as long as you need to," the dark haired man continued. "Will any one be looking for you?"

Minako shook her head. The five young men traded looks with one another.

"Right then. Introductions first, and then we'll worry about the rest it. I'm Endymion of Elysium." He smiled and sketched a bow in her direction. "The others present are my shittenou: Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite."

Minako fixed each name with a face. The tall blond was Jadeite. Nephrite was the brunette with the dreamy expression. Zoisite had reddish-blond hair, and he had been the once to check her for injuries. It had been Kunzite who had found her. She met the man's grey eyes and smiled.

* * *

Part of Kunzite was startled by how quickly they had adopted the girl from the beach, but it did feel like she fit in with them. After quickly determining that not only could she not speak, she could not write their language, though it was clear she understood what they were saying, the shittenou christened her Aina. Endymion insisted that she was not the girl he had seen at sea earlier, but he liked her all the same. Though it was not the same sort of like.

Aina was far more like a little sister to them all. Or at least to most of them. Despite knowing the young woman only for a day, Kunzite felt quite drawn to Aina. Of course, he had felt drawn to Aina from the moment he found her unconscious. And it had not escaped Kunzite's notice that he seemed to be her favorite out of all of them. Which meant that more often than not, he was the one that was assigned to escort her.

She was curious about just about everything, especially the Royal Court. Kunzite couldn't help feeling that she was taking in everything and analyzing it. She had quickly taken in the dynamics of the court and been able to move amongst the others with ease, almost as if she had been used to dealing with this sort of thing. Kunzite rather thought that she was searching for some thing, even if he didn't know what. Communication with Aina was frustrating. She clearly understood everything they said, but she was limited to facial expressions and gestures. Even so, they managed.

Every so often, Kunzite caught Aina watching Endymion with an intent look. It was enough for the leader of the shittenou to be slightly concerned. He truly did not think that Aina was a threat to Endymion, but it often felt like she was weighing and judging him. It was just another piece of the mystery of the young woman. She had not been able to show them on a map where she was from. No one at the palace, either courtier or servant recognized her. It was like Aina had just washed up on shore from no where.

But in the end, Kunzite found that it didn't really matter to him. Aina belonged with them just as the other shittenou did. She might not exactly be their brother in arms, but she fit into the little family the five of them had carved out for themselves. And Kunzite knew that he personally didn't want Aina to return to wherever she had come from.

* * *

Minako was feeling quite pleased with herself. Serenity's prince (and it was a little ironic that of all of the humans Serenity had fallen for she had fallen for a prince) was just as smitten with her as she was with him. She had no doubts that if Serenity appeared here, Endymion would most definitely marry her. And she liked what she saw of Endymion and his shittenou. The Royal Court here was no worse than the one Serenity faced beneath the waves. In fact, it might be better for Serenity to face the court here where she would have a partner in Endymion.

To tell the truth, Endymion and his shittenou reminded Minako very much of Serenity and the other senshi. They were not a mirror image of the girls but more like their compliments. In fact, should the ten of them ever team up together, Minako had the feeling that they would be quite formidable. She just knew that Ami and Zoisite would get along swimmingly, if they ever got over their shyness and managed to talk to one another. Rei and Jadeite would likely argue a great deal, but Minako rather thought that Jadeite would understand the priestess much better than most folk. Nephrite and Makoto shared the same romantic outlook. And as for Kunzite, well, Minako knew herself well enough to know that she was falling in love with him.

Kunzite might project a cold, stoic exterior, but when you actually looked at what he did and how he treated those around him, that was what really told the tale. It was so very clear from his actions that he cared for his men and his prince deeply, and the way that Kunzite had gone out of his way to make sure that she was both taken care of and protected in a rather alien environment. There really was no need for Kunzite or any of the others really to spend so much time with her once they had seen that she was uninjured and that there was really nothing they could do to return her where she came from. But they had taken her in and made her a part of their little circle.

She'd learned what she needed to about these people. Her princess would be in good hands when she came here. Minako only hoped that she could be there to help for Minako had forgotten that for her to survive, she would need to gain a proposal of marriage of her own. And the problem became, she only wanted it from one person.

* * *

He was slightly worried about Aina. Kunzite had noticed that she was worried about some thing, but with their communication barrier, it was hard to tell what. Still, he had caught her several times staring out a window at the water with a pensive look on her face. Kunzite couldn't quite figure out what was going on with her. But before he had a chance to try and get an idea of what was wrong, Kunzite spotted Beryl once again stalking Endymion. The woman could not seem to get the hint that Endymion was not interested in her in the slightest.

And it seemed like Beryl had chosen tonight to be especially troublesome. He was not close enough to hear what Beryl was saying to his prince, but Aina clearly could. The pensive look was gone replaced first with concern and then with anger as she rose to her feet and made her way to Endymion and Beryl. Kunzite scanned the room for the other shittenou. It looked like this was going to get ugly, and none of them were close enough to Endymion to prevent a confrontation. They had known that bringing any female into their inner circle would upset Beryl, even if the woman was not Endymion's bride, but they had been hoping that she wouldn't make a public scene.

It looks like those hopes had been in vain. Kunzite arrived within earshot just in time to hear: "You will be mine even if I have to destroy your mind to accomplish it."

Before he could shout a warning, Aina had reacted, knocking a dark vial out of Beryl's hands. It broke on the floor, emitting foul smelling smoke. Endymion took a step back even as Beryl whirled around to face Aina. With a venomous expression, she shoved Aina hard, forcing her back against the low window sill where Aina had been sitting earlier. And in almost slow motion, Kunzite saw her wobble as her legs hit the sill, and Aina tipped backwards.

He watched in horror as she tumbled out the open window. The ballroom was built right upon the cliffs. It was highly likely that Aina would hit the rocks below if she couldn't control her descent, and even then, he had no idea if she could swim. Trapped by shock, Kunzite watched as Aina turned her tumble into a more controlled dive. Then she disappeared beneath the waves and did not reappear. That broke him out of shock and into action.

"Nephrite, Jadeite, stay with the prince. Zoisite, you're with me."

He didn't know if they could save her, but Kunzite wasn't about to let that stop him from trying.

* * *

Hitting the water was a shock. It was only then that Minako realized she wasn't sure how to swim without her fin. It had been instinct to protect Endymion. A threat to him was a threat to Serenity at this point. But she hadn't expected the attack from the woman had been caught off guard. But at least she'd managed to turn her fall into a dive.

The water closed over her head, and Minako quickly realized that she could no longer breathe beneath the water any longer. But before she could panic, arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. Her head broke the surface, and Minako gasped for air. Then she realized just how she'd survived. Serenity supported her on one side and Rei on the other. Minako glared at her princess. Serenity just smiled.

"At least this time you can't scold me. And we weren't about to let you drown."

"Do I need to teach those humans a lesson?" Makoto asked.

Minako shook her head. She started looking for a place where she could climb back on shore.

"Aina!"

She searched for Kunzite, finally spotting him on a small pier beneath the ballroom. He looked ready to jump in the water after her. She waved at him.

"Do you trust him?" Rei asked quietly.

Minako nodded.

"All right."

With Serenity and Rei's help, Minako made it to the pier, and Kunzite lifted her out of the water. He frowned slightly at Serenity and the others.

"Thank you for your assistance. You are more than welcome to come ashore here and dry off."

Serenity let out a pealing laugh and flipped her tail so Kunzite could see it. "We're just fine, thanks. But take care of my cousin."

Minako buried her face in Kunzite's shoulder. Of course, Serenity would decide that embarrassing her was the best course of action.

* * *

Kunzite was startled to find that mermaids had rescued Aina. He was even more startled to find the mermaids claiming her as kin. It also did not escape his notice that the mermaid who spoke matched perfectly the description of the girl Endymion had seen in the water. He dealt with all of this information by acting as if it was perfectly normal. A stoic façade was good for some thing.

"I will. We have become quite fond of her."

"Good. Then I won't be worried about her survival."

That made Kunzite frowned. "What-"

"Kunzite! Did you find her?" Endymion's arrival interrupted him. "Is Aina all…"

His voice trailed off when he spotted the mermaid. Kunzite bit back a smile.

"She's just fine thanks to her cousins here. Though I rather doubt that Aina is her real name."

"It's Minako." The one mermaid provided, blushing a little as she looked at Endymion. "She's normally the leader of my personal guard. That's why she insisted on taking the potion first."

The mermaid seemed to think that she had said too much for she clapped a hand over her mouth and blushed a bright red. But Kunzite could put the pieces together easily enough. If he had been in Minako's shoes, he would have done the same thing.

"So you wished to become human, but your guardian insisted on trying the potion to do so first. Sensible of her. What was the price?"

It was the raven haired mermaid who spoke up. "Loss of her voice for the three days it was effective and death if she doesn't receive a proposal of marriage. If she survives, she gets her voice back. We didn't want to risk Serenity's life if her affections weren't returned."

Kunzite glanced at his prince who looked rather stunned and smiled. "Well you needn't worry about that. Should Serenity arrive on my prince's shores, I rather think she will be proposed to immediately. However, I would like to get Minako inside and warmed up. She's no longer a mermaid, and a dip like that could easily harm a human."

And Kunzite had a proposal to make that he did not want an audience for. Minako only had a day left after all, and he was not about to lose her now.

Serenity nodded. "Of course. If you come to the beach in the morning, we will be waiting. Minako knows the place."

* * *

Minako was not surprised when she was quickly dumped into a tub of warm water. It seemed to be the humans' way of dealing with any sort of dunking in water. Still, within twenty minutes, Minako was warm, dry, and dressed in a soft robe. She was not at all surprised to find that Kunzite was waiting for her in the sitting area of the rooms she had been given. The man smiled at her and stepped forward.

"Are you feeling all right? I am sorry that we couldn't protect you from Beryl. She's been taken care of, but I wanted to make sure you were unharmed, Minako."

She smiled at him in response and nodded. She liked the way her real name sounded on his lips. Kunzite smiled and stepped closer, invading her space.

"I hadn't realized that we were on such a tight schedule. I wanted to court you properly, but clearly we don't have time for that."

She wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about. Kunzite took another step toward her, cupped her face in his hand, and then kissed her. Minako couldn't do anything but kiss him back, wondering if this was a dream. Then Kunzite pulled away and smiled at her.

"Marry me."

She nodded. She could feel a little tingle travel down her spine, most likely the magic recognizing that the final condition had been met. To test that, she opened her mouth.

"Kunzite?"

He blinked at her. Minako laughed. It felt lovely to be able to speak again. She smiled up at him.

"Well, I'd say we don't have to worry about me turning into sea foam anymore, and I would be quite pleased to marry you."

He smiled back. "Good."

Serenity's own path was far less eventful. She showed up on the shore where Aina was waiting with clothes. Once she had transformed into a human and dressed, the young women joined Endymion and his shittenou who were waiting for them, and Serenity got proposed to. And it didn't surprise Minako that over the next few months, the process was repeated with the rest of the senshi as well. The tale that was spread far and wide was rather different than the reality of things, but Minako really couldn't complain. She was pleased with the ending of her story, and that was enough for her.


	26. Minako Aino Diary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 4: Dear Diary.

**Minako Aino Diary**

Dear Diary,

I find it rather ridiculous that Ami gave me a diary for my birthday, but I suppose there are worse gifts to get. I promised her that I would attempt to write in you on a regular basis, but I make no promises.

Minako

Dear Diary,

I just got a new job. At this point, I'm thrilled to get any job, but this one seems pretty interesting. I'm going to be the personal assistant for an editor at a major publishing house. Maybe I'll get to meet famous authors. My parents are of course upset. They've been wanting me to go back into modeling, and the fact that I haven't been able to get a job until now has just fueled their fire. They were hoping I would give up on having a career outside of entertainment. But I want to at least get through college without having to deal with all of that added pressure. Of course, my parents would have preferred I just skip college all together, but I insisted on going. I refuse to have nothing to fall back on if acting and modeling ever fails me.

Minako

Dear Diary,

Well, my new boss is an absolute rock. If it weren't for the fact that I actually have seen him move, he could be a statue. A good looking statue for sure. He's actually really cute, though it would be better if he smiled more. Six feet tall in immaculately tailored suits, grey-green eyes, and silver white hair pulled back in a neat tail. Kitahoshi Ishi might be nice to look at, but I've yet to see him display any emotion. He really has mastered the art of being stoic. I'll give him that.

Other than that, my job is really boring. I got a tour of the office building, and then I spent my day filing paperwork and keeping track of my boss' upcoming appointments. Not that he really needs me to. I swear that he already knows every thing I told him about on his schedule. And the man really is organized. He reminds me of Ami that way. So, boring job, boring if hot boss. This is not off to a great start.

Minako

Dear Diary,

Work is still boring. Today I got to pull files for my boss. Who is grumpy and doesn't seem to have a sense of humor. Oh joy. I don't think his expression changed all day. Well, at least I'm getting paid for not doing much. Still, this is hardly what I thought I was signing up for.

Mina

Dear Diary,

I really don't know what to say. I realize that it's been a few weeks since I've last written. Nothing much has really happened. At least until today. Work has pretty much been the same, though I have to admit that I finally made some friends with the other people at the office. Not the other Pas. They don't really like me all that much. But a couple of the other editors are nice, and there's this friend of Mr. Ishi who drops by on a regular basis whose lots of fun to chat with. He's a doctor of some sort.

But anyway, today was odd to say the least. A woman came in without an appointment. Which happens on occasion. But even I could tell that this lady was bad news. And she wasn't taking no for an answer when she wanted to see Mr. Ishi. She got pretty nasty about it too. I was on the verge of being nasty back when Mr. Ishi came out of his office. I'd never seen the expression on his face before. What happened next was impressive.

Without even raising his voice, he reamed the woman out (apparently her name was Beryl Metallica) and threatened her with legal action. She left soon after that. By itself that had been rather startling, but then he turned to me and asked if I was all right. Then he told me to ignore anything that she had said to me and to take twenty minutes if I thought I needed to. I'm really not sure what to make of that.

Mina

Dear Diary,

Today was educational. More so than last week's incident oddly enough. So, this afternoon when I was coming back from lunch I found that friend of Mr. Ishi's, Dr. Izumo, and two other men I didn't know clustered around Mr. Ishi's office door. I wasn't going to complain; they were all really good looking. Their conversation stopped when I showed up though. Dr. Izumo smiled at me then asked if I could go get them all coffee. Normally, it was something that I would have refused to do on principal (I'm a P.A. not a secretary), but there was something about the look in Mr. Ishi's eye that made me say yes. I took their drink orders and then went to the Starbucks on the first floor of the office building.

When I came back with their drinks (and one for me, they had given me extra money for that), I found them huddled around Mr. Ishi's desk looking at some thing on his computer. The four of them looked startled when I entered with their drinks. I handed around the coffee and that would have been the end of it except, one of the blonds asked me what I thought an appropriate apology gift when someone's stalker ex-girlfriend starts harassing the girl you are now interested in.

That is something I know something about. Having spent my life in show business since I was a toddler, I've seen stalking and its aftermath. And I know how to deal with it. I've actually been stalked myself a couple times. It's one of the reasons I wanted to have some job experience outside of being a model or an actress. It took a little investigating on my part to get to the heart of the matter.

As it turned out, none of the men present were the guy with the stalker. It was a mutual friend of theirs who was in the fix. She was younger than him, and this was her first serious relationship, and now he was worried that the fact that he hadn't told her about Beryl and their past was jeopardizing the future of their relationship. I appreciate that they wanted to protect their friend, but if they wanted advice, I need details.

In the end, I suggested that their friend go with a combination of things. Honesty, for one, because the girl really needed to know just what the situation was and what she was getting into with this. Also, if there was anything that that could ruin a relationship it was having on party being left out of the loop. I also suggested that he do something really nice for her as well, like watching the entire Lizzie Bennet Dairies with her. Something that involved his time because more than that showed more than anything what was important to him.

After that, I went back to work, and the day went back to normal. At least until the end of the day when Mr. Ishi came out of his office, thanked me, and told me to go home early, that I'd earned it. So today was interesting. And my boss isn't quite as hard-hearted as I thought he way.

Mina

Dear Diary,

Well, I think I might be dating my boss. To tell the truth, I'm not sure. Things have changed since I helped him and his friends out that afternoon. Though I have to admit that that whole mess turned out well. The weirdest part is I didn't find out how it turned out from Kitahoshi. I heard about it from Usagi. As it turned out, she was the new girlfriend in the situation. I guess I can see Mamoru with a crazy stalker ex. He is a cute doctor in training after all. Still, it's kind of weird the way that worked out.

Anyway, since that afternoon Kitahoshi actually started talking to me about things other than my tasks for the day. I'm not sure how we got on to the topic of popular movies based on books, but we spent my entire lunch break talking about it. After that, Kitahoshi joined me for lunch on a regular basis. And when we went out to lunch last week, he paid. So maybe we're dating?

I have to admit that I like him great deal now that I've gotten to know him. He does not give a very good first impression, but I can forgive him that I suppose. It's not exactly easy to throw a first impression out the window, but I am trying as I get to know him better. And he always has treated me like I'm a thinking human being, which is more than I can say for some people. So, that's really the only major thing to happen as of late.

Mina

Dear Diary,

So I am definitely dating Kitahoshi Ishi. Given that we spent the evening at publishing event avoiding people and stealing kisses when no one was looking, I'd be a little annoyed if we weren't. That's the good news. The bad news is I'm no longer his PA. Well, it's not exactly bad news. I'm not Kitahoshi's PA anymore because I have a new job. One that's much better. I'm now working with the team that handles movie adaptations of this publisher's books. It's pretty good so far.

Like everything else with this place, the job change came about in a slightly convoluted way. Kitahoshi's friend, Zach Kawatani, had dropped by and the three of us were discussing the latest bestseller turned into a movie which had gotten a horrible reaction from the fans. I was in the middle of explaining exactly where they went wrong with the casting when this older woman comes over to my desk where we were talking. She asked me a couple of questions about some movie and mini-series adaptations. And admittedly, if I know any thing, it's the entertainment industry. After another few minutes of conversation, the woman turns to Kitahoshi and asks.

"And she's working as your PA why?"

And with a completely straight face he replies, "Because HR doesn't know what else to do with former actresses?"

Half an hour I had a job offer and Kitahoshi had kissed me in front of his boss. I can't say I'll really miss being a PA, but I think I'll miss being in the same office as my boyfriend. Over all, though I have to say that this venture into the normal working world has been a good one so far, and I've proved my parents wrong. I'm pretty please with that. And I some how met a decent guy who actually interested in me, not my fame. So, go me. I knew that this was the right choice.

Mina


	27. Heart Strings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 27: Hope/Despair.

**Heart Strings**

Once Makoto had fallen asleep, Minako decided to do something. This was not the first time she had comforted one of her girlfriends after she'd gotten her heart broken by some guy. She'd been doing it since they were in high school. But Minako had decided that she was getting tired of it. She was fed up with the losers who kept hurting her friends, and she was going to do something about. Someone clearly needed to take matters into hand anyway. Usagi was blissfully happy with Mamoru, and really, she had enough on her plate right now without dealing with her friends' romantic woes.

And it really was more of her prevue anyway. Minako might not have had a long term relationship herself, but that was more due to the fact that had yet to meet anyone who she was interested in that with. And that didn't stop her from being able to see what her friends needed. Rei needed someone who would challenge her. Ami needed someone who could bring her out of her shell. Makoto needed someone who would support her. And the truth of the matter was that all three of them were far more mature than most boys their age. So, decent boyfriends for her closest friends; she could do that.

Mina decided to start with Rei, mostly because she had a feeling that was going to be a long term project. Rei didn't trust easily and getting past her walls was a task and a half. Thankfully, the person Mina had in mind was almost as stubborn as Rei, and he already liked her, even if he hadn't done anything about it yet. Jaden Kinoshita was a martial artist and oddly enough working a doctorate in religion and philosophy. While he was a friend of Mamoru's, he and Mina had actually met when she was in England. In fact, he'd been one of her tutor's when she'd been acting in a BBC production. That had actually been one of the better child acting parts her parents had roped her into. Anyway, Jaden already like Rei, so what Mina really need was a reason for the two of them to spend time together.

Rei ended up providing that herself. She needed help at the temple during a week long festival, and that was just up Jaden's alley. So Mina volunteered him. She figured that a week in each other's company would either kill one another or at least start moving in the right direction. The festival would give the two of them to see what they had in common at least, and Rei wouldn't be quite as bored when he went off on long winded explanations of various philosophical disciplines.

With that set in motion, Mina moved on to the next stage of her plan. The festival was actually a great excuse. The girls would all be going, and it was a great opportunity to toss them together with a few people Mina knew. Okay, technically speaking, they already knew most of the guys that Mina want to set them up with. Mamoru had some really great friends. Mina actually knew them more through Jaden than through Mamoru, but still they were decent guys who weren't going to break her friends' hearts.

So when the festival rolled around, Minako meddled. It really wasn't all that hard. A few nudges in the right direction had Ami and Zach discussing some recent breakthrough in the medical profession with Makoto and Nathan abandoned them for food. Mamoru and Usagi had already wandered off hand in hand, and Rei and Jaden were busy with running the temple's booth. That just left herself and Kenzie MacLeod at lose ends. Still, it was a good start.

"You're up to something." Kenzie's low voice shook her out of her thoughts.

Minako shrugged. "Just a nudge or two in the right direction."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "So you're meddling."

Like Jaden, Mina knew Kenzie from her time in England. The young police officer had actually dealt with several minor cases on set during the filming of a soap opera she had been in. The two of them had struck up an odd friendship after she had helped him solve a string a petty thefts. He might take things far too seriously in Mina's mind, but he was a good friend to have.

"I wouldn't call it meddling exactly." She smiled at Kenzie and linked her arm with his. "I'm giving them a window of opportunity to make some thing happen. It's entirely up to them what they make of the opportunities. But at least I know this way that my friends aren't going to get their hearts broken by uncaring jerks."

"And you're not worried about the potential consequences?"

"What? You mean Rei quite possibly killing Jaden? That was going to happen whether or not I did anything. You all are Mamoru's friends, the girls' are Usagi's, we were going to spend time together whether we liked it or not. This way we get more hope than despair, and you all don't have to hear about more douchey boyfriends."

Kenzie sighed and shook his head. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Trust me. Give them a few years, and we'll be attending four wedding. Or at least three weddings and funeral depending how Rei and Jaden take to one another." She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Now come on. I saw a booth making shaved ice."

Arm in arm, the pair of them headed off to enjoy the festival themselves. Mina considered it a good evening of work.


	28. Songs You Know By Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 10: Soundtrack.

**Songs You Know By Heart**

Kenzie woke to the sound of his girlfriend singing. That didn't surprise him in the slightest. Music was part of Minako, and she often sang to herself. Since she had moved in with him, Kenzie had become used to her voice. He knew its tones and inflections well. What she sang tended to reflect her mood. Right now she was feeling cheerful, which was rather surprising given that it was close to six in the morning on a Saturday. Kenzie normally had to be up at this time in the morning while Mina was dead to the world if she had a choice about it.

He lay in best listening to the sound of running water and the cheery strains of a pop song. For once, he had Saturday off, and he wasn't planning on getting up just yet. Kenzie wracked his brain to figure out what his girlfriend was going up at this hour. Still, there was some thing pleasant about listening to her putter around the apartment singing to herself. Kenzie recognized the music now. It was one of the latest pop hits from some female singer from the States. It wasn't some thing that Kenzie himself would normally listen to, but since Mina had come into his life, he had quickly become familiar with pop music. Though he did find it rather fascinating that one of Mina's favorite things to do was watch bad pop song reviews on the internet. It was an interesting window into her personality.

The sound of her voice, soft, happy, and content, told him that all was right with the world. He'd learned early on that it was what her voice sounded like rather than what she was actually saying that told the real story. Even her silences said something. Though, silence often meant something was truly wrong. Kenzie would take the sound of her voice, even when it was hard and flat with anger, over silence.

He was letting the sound of her voice lull him back to sleep when his girlfriend came bouncing into the room. She was dressed more formally than an early morning shopping trip with the girls called for, so that couldn't be the reason she was up. Minako beamed and him and leaned in to kiss his nose.

"I'm off to a video interview with the BBC. With any luck I can nab that part on Doctor Who. I should be home by lunch."

Kenzie smiled back at her. "Break a leg, Mina mine."

He listened to her voice softly fade as she left the apartment. And he wasn't surprised at all when Mamoru caught him humming the same tune later that day.


	29. Lady Muse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 12: Bibliophile.

**Lady Muse**

Kitahoshi realized that he had a problem. Unfortunately, doing some thing about it was the problem. Despite having five best selling novels already and having made his living as an author for several years now, novel number six was proving to be a rather large stumbling block. The problem was none of his recent ideas seemed to pan out. He would start writing some thing, and then it would end to quickly, he would get bored with the concept, or he just could not figure out how to make the story work the way he wanted it to. It was very frustrating.

He had tried just about every thing he could to try and break his writer's block. It was the reason why he was trying to write here in a busy coffee shop rather than in his study at home. Kitahoshi actually hated writing in public, but he had been hoping that people watching might help with his story ideas. It hadn't worked so far. So far, Kitahoshi had only gotten annoyed with his fellow coffee shop goers. They were in the least bit interesting, even in a bad way. If they had been truly horrible people, he might have had some thing to work with. But really, they were all just mundane and obnoxious.

Sighing, he sipped at his coffee and regretted getting it real mug instead of a paper one. He'd stay until he'd finished his drink, and then he'd go home and try to write there again. The bell on the door tinkled, but Kitahoshi did not bother to look away from his view out of the window. At least, not until the bell rang again, and the sound of angry footsteps echoed through the coffee shop. That made him look up. A man with white blond hair was stalking towards a pretty blond woman in a madras sundress.

"You can't do this to me," he snarled, grabbing her arm and yanking.

The young woman stood her ground, her face transforming in to stony mask. "It is my career and my choice. You do not get to control every aspect of my life. Let go and leave before some one calls the police."

The man glared at her. The young woman just held her ground. Then without warning he released her, shoving her in the process. The young woman ended up in Kitahoshi's lap, wearing his coffee, as the man stalked out. A pair of wide sapphire eyes met his own, and the young woman blushed, even as she climbed out of his lap.

"I am so sorry. Let me get you another coffee."

Kitahoshi shook head. "Really, that is not necessary."

"I insist." She smoothed down her dress as she stood. "Please?"

Kitahoshi smiled slightly. "All right."

"What would you like?"

"A café au lait, please."

"Sure."

He watched as she walked over to the counter to order, observing the young woman. She was fairly petite, and she moved with a grace that spoke of training in dance at some point. Her clothing was fashionable, if simple and style, and the little jewelry she wore was expensive and understated. Off hand, Kitahoshi would guess she was a model or an actress of some sort. She spoke perfect Japanese, but with her blond hair, he would guess that at least one parent might be European. While she waited for his drink, Kitahoshi played through several various histories for her. The one he liked best ended up being in an urban fantasy setting and gave her a mysterious past and an imperative quest to find a lost fae princess. That actually might work.

Just as he started jotting down notes the character and her world, the young woman returned carrying two paper cups. She held one out to him with an embarrassed smile.

"Minako Aino. I am really sorry about this."

He took the offered cup. "Kitahoshi Ishikawa. It's not your fault. Are you all right?"

Minako sighed softly. "Yes. That could have been a lot worse. Ace has always had a temper, and I'm just glad his little temper tantrum was as restrained as it was."

"I would not have called that restrained, but then you know him better than I do."

She shrugged delicately. "As I said it could have been worse. Things have been very tense at work lately."

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked.

She made a face. "It's a long story."

"I have time."

Part of Kitahoshi was surprised by his invitation. He tended to prefer his writing to people, and volunteering to spend time with a stranger was very out of character for him. But he found that he was interested in knowing more about Minako Aino, even if it was just to help him figure out a character for his book. She slid in to the seat opposite him.

"All right."

It was not long before Kitahoshi found himself meeting Minako for coffee on a regular basis. And only part of it was for research on his book. He had been on a roll with writing since meeting Mina. And not only was his sixth novel coming along quite well, but Kitahoshi had found he had material for an entire series. The real truth of the matter was he liked Mina's company.

He had been right about his initial assessment. Minako was an actress. She had also worked as a model and an idol singer as well. In fact, part of the dispute with Ace had been the fact that Mina had lately dropped working as an idol from her resume. She had felt that the image it projected did not match with where she wanted her career to go. Ace, who had basically been riding on her coattails, had taken exception to that. Hence the scene in the coffee shop.

As it turned out, Minako was one of the few people the young bibliophile enjoyed spending time with. He was more than a little surprised to Minako was fairly well read.

"Mostly because I really want to get a part in one of the BBC adaptations, and I want to know what I might be signing up for," she had admitted one day with a grin.

Kitahoshi had admitted that she had inspired his latest novel at about their fourth meeting. Minako had blinked at him and then had asked if she could read the manuscript before it was published then. He'd promised her the first copy of the book. Which he was now holding as he nervously waited for his girlfriend to show up. She had called to tell him that she was running late after an audition.

Minako breezed through the coffee shop door with a bright smile. She made a beeline straight for Kitahoshi.

"I got the part!"

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Congratulations. I guess that makes my present all the more appropriate."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Well, it is your book in more ways that one." He handed her the copy of his book. "I don't think that I would have written it without you."


	30. Safe Haven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 6: Wearing Away; Erosion.

**Safe Haven**

It started quietly. Minako was used to getting fan mail. She might only be a minor actress, but she did have her fair share of fans. Especially since she had gotten several minor roles in BBC shows. It was not that the letters had started off as being strange or threatening, but there had been some thing about them from the start that disconcerted Mina slightly. It might have been the phrasing and the language. From the start they had been rather possessive tone. And they go more so as time went by.

To be fair, she hadn't really noticed at first. There was maybe one letter a month. She could tell that they came from the same person because they looked the same and the language was similar. But Minako was just coming off of an insanely busy schedule, and she hadn't really paid that much attention to them. At least until they started coming every week. That was new, and it caught Minako's attention. There was nothing really wrong about the letters though. They just sounded like a really obsessed fan. Mina figured that they would get bored with her eventually. That was what usually happened.

She had mentioned it to her manager though, just to be on the safe side. He had just brushed it off though, so she figured it was nothing. After all, he had far more experience with this sort of thing than she did. Even so, the weekly letters bothered Minako more than a little, especially as the language in them began to change. Before the letters had been rather adoring if also a little bit possessive. Now there was a shift in their tone that was really starting to unnerve her. Between that and the frequency of the letters, she was a little creped out.

And that was when she began to notice the pattern in reactions as well. She'd taken the letters once again to her manager, and he had once again blown her off about them. Which hadn't made her feel any better. And the letters did bother her, so she took the matter to her mother. The reaction she got was not the one that she expected.

"Oh, wonderful. That's a sign that your career is really beginning to take off. People who play bit parts don't get crazy fan mail."

Minako blinked. She had never really thought of it that way. She wasn't entirely sure that she agreed with her mother's assessment of the situation. But it was rather clear that she wasn't going to get any sympathy from the woman. After that, Mina just tried to ignore the letters. Tried being the operative word. It was hard to ignore them when they kept coming every week and then twice a week. The tone of the letters had completely changed now too. They were still possessive, but now they were also more demanding and darker.

And they were beginning to creep her out more than just a little. Not that she could convince any one that it was an actual problem. She was used to people dismissing her concerns, but this time it was serious. Both her parents and her manager tended to take her ditziness as lack of intelligence. Mina just wasn't good at keep track of things like where she put her backpack or what time it was. She got caught up in things easily and often got distracted if she wasn't interested in the subject at hand. But she had never forgotten a line on stage, and she could translate the legalese in her contracts to real English with ease. She might be a teenage girl (well, she was almost twenty), but that didn't make her an idiot.

The letters were scaring her, and Minako was starting to jump at shadows. She had noticed just how personal they were. There were details in them now that shouldn't be there, not unless the writer was watching her. And she was beginning to think that that was a very real possibility, and since no one was listening to her concerns, she would have to deal with it herself the best she could. At least she had some resources at her disposal.

Sort of. Well, she was going to have to get Usagi's boyfriend to call in a favor with one of his friends, but at least it was some thing. Thankfully, Mamoru was more than willing to set up a meeting for her with his friend who was a police detective. Minako didn't really know what to expect from Kenzie MacLeod. She didn't really know anything about him except that he was a police detective and that he was Mamoru's friend.

Minako shivered and pulled her coat closer around her as she entered the coffee shop. Hopefully, this would work.

* * *

Kenzie wasn't sure what to expect from Mamoru's girlfriend's friend. Mamoru had been vague about what the young woman's problem was, but he had to admit that he was a little curious about it. In his experience, most teenagers did not seek help from law enforcement if they thought they were in trouble. Admittedly, if she was Usagi's age, she would just barely be a teenager, but nineteen really was not the most sensible age. He had to admit that he was rather surprised when the petite blond approached him.

Dressed in a navy blue peacock and will her hair pulled back in a thick braid, she looked more like a college student than an actress, and it took him a moment to place her, but when she smiled, it clicked into place. She'd been on _Doctor Who_ recently.

"Sergeant MacLeod?" Her English was unaccented.

"Miss Aino," he smiled. "Would English or Japanese be easier for you? I'm fluent in both."

She shrugged slightly. "Same here. And Minako is fine."

She slid into the seat opposite him clutching her coffee with a white knuckled grip. Kenzie reevaluated his assumptions on how serious this was. Even if it was only a minor issue, the young woman was extremely tense and afraid. It couldn't be good for her.

"Mamoru didn't give me any details. How about you start from the beginning and tell me everything you can remember abut this?"

She nodded, sipping her coffee. "I can do that."

Slow but surely, she began to relate the entire story from the beginning with far more detail than Kenzie would have expected from a civilian. She included her own reactions to events, and Kenzie found his eyebrows climbing. This was a very sensible young woman, and the fact that her concerns had consistently been dismissed worried him. She was right that it was some thing to be concerned with.

"Do you still have all of the letters and their envelopes?" he asked. "I'd like to have some one take a look at them."

"You believe me? That it is serious I mean." Her relief was palpable.

"It is some thing to be concerned about. Given what we have right now, it would be hard to take any action other than increase whatever security you currently have and take more precautions in your daily routine. Still, I'll look into the letters, and I want you not to hesitate to call the police if your stalker escalates again."

Minako let out a deep sigh and slumped back in her seat. "Thank you. I've got the letters with me. Everything is in individual ziplock bags."

Kenzie nodded. "Good. I'll keep you updated. And don't hesitate to call for help if you think you needed. In cases like these, it is far better to be safe than to be sorry."

She smiled at him. "Thank you. You don't know how good that is to hear."

Minako handed over the letters as well as her contact information. Kenzie gave her his card with his personal cell phone number scrawled on the back. He had the feeling that she would need it. Given what she had told him so far, it would take an actual assault before her parents or her manager actually involved law enforcement. So it would probably be up to Minako to keep the ball rolling.

Once the young woman had left, Kenzie headed immediately for his office. He wanted to take a closer look at the letters and try and get a better feel for the stalker. This would not be the first time that he'd worked on a stalking case, and typically the more they knew about the stalker and their motivations, the easier it was to find them.

Reading the letters, it quickly became easy to see why Minako had quickly become concerned. What Kenzie didn't like was just how quickly her stalker was escalating or the fact that it was pretty clear this person was watching Minako on a regular basis. At this rate, he was going to be escalating in more and more dangerous ways very quickly. Kenzie would not at all be surprised if Minako started getting photos of herself in the letters soon. At least that would allow them to better figure out just how close to Minako this guy was.

Unfortunately, whoever this was, he had been careful. There were no fingerprints that were able to be lifted, no DNA on the envelopes, and no useful trace materials. It wasn't much to go on. Which was frustrating. Kenzie hated being reduced to waiting for the criminal to make the next move, but it was what he was stuck with right now. He had filed the paperwork to make this an official case at least. That was progress. It meant that when the criminal made his next move, they would be able to act immediately.

He was concerned about Minako though. When he'd met her she'd already been tense and strung out, in part because no one was taking her concerns seriously, but Kenzie was also pretty sure that the situation in general was getting to her as well. Having to play the waiting game with the stalker was not going to be easy on her nerves, and the fact that she had very little support from those around her would not make things any easier.

Minako kept him updated on what was going on and sent on any other letters she received. Things kept up with their typical pattern for another three weeks. Then the pattern changed. Kenzie knew something had happened as soon as he walked in to his office to find Minako waiting for him. She looked far more like a teenager than the self-composed starlet Kenzie was used to seeing, and she was close to hysteria.

"Minako?"

"We've gotten to the photo stage," her voice was flat and emotionless. "I showed them to both to my parents and my manager. My manager was pleased. He thought it would be a good idea to release pictures of me in my underwear taken by a creepy stalker to the public. He thought it could generate buzz around me and attract some attention."

Not really knowing what to say in response to that, Kenzie just wrapped her in a warm hug. After a few moments, Minako relaxed in to the embrace with a soft sigh. She dropped her head on to his shoulder and shut her eyes.

"There are days when I just want to quit and run away. Go to college and live a normal life. I mean as much as I love acting this whole business is slowly eroding any pleasure I get out of it. Things were tense with both my parents and my manager before, but now it's like we don't even speak the same language. But it feels too much like letting the stalker win if I do that."

"You could always get yourself a new manager," he suggested. "You are old enough now that you don't need your parents to sign off on your contracts any more."

Mina just shrugged. "Trust me. I'm thinking about it."

With a soft sigh, she extricated herself from his embrace and produced a sealed bag with several photos inside. Kenzie took the bag, and the two of them got down to business. It was a fairly familiar routine at this point. Mina tended to bring in any new letters herself and go over any pertinent details with him. He had gotten to know the young woman fairly well over the past couple of weeks, and he'd found he rather like the person behind the public persona. And he was well aware that she was deeply unhappy with more than just the situation with the stalker and how it was being handled by her parents and her manager.

"Remember, call me if you even just think that some thing is wrong," he smiled at her. "I'd rather have false alarms than you getting hurt."

She gave him a half smile. "I know."

* * *

Her room wasn't the sanctuary it used to be but at the very least it did give her some alone space. Plus she had her own bathroom, and that did not have any windows. Mina groaned as she turned on the shower. Her back was killing her. Today's photo shoot had been ridiculous, and she was definitely feeling a number of the poses she'd held. Hopefully, the hot shower would make her feel human again.

It did make her feel a little bit better, and she had to admit there really was something comforting about slipping into clothes that you knew you would never wear in public. Her leggings were just about threadbare, her tank top wasn't in much better condition, and the oversized cashmere sweater she pulled on over that had holes in it. The sweater was probably the most comfortable thing that she owned, and Minako adored it even if it was falling apart. Wrapped up in her comfort clothes, Mina was finally beginning to feel herself again.

To be honest, she rather hated most photo shoots. On the rare occasion they could a lot of fun, but most of the time any more they were a chore more than anything else. Reaching for a battered paperback, Mina curled up on her bed and dove back into the world of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It was hours before she came up for air.

It was still pouring rain out, and as much as Minako didn't want to get up, she was really craving a cup of tea. It was one of the habits she'd picked up in England that she'd never really shaken. Her mother might tease her about the habit, but Mina found it soothing. She headed downstairs to find that she was the only one home. That was actually a relief. Minako went through the motions of making herself a nice strong pot of tea and perched on one of the bar stools as she waited for the tea to steep. The tattoo of the rain on the windows was almost soothing.

She was enjoying the peace and quiet up until the point she realized that she was very visible where she was sitting given the kitchen's large plate glass windows. And it felt like she was being watched. She stared out into the grey, misty evening trying to find her unseen watcher. She clutched her mug tightly, biting her lip. She did not want to be here any more. Any feeling of safety and comfort she'd had earlier was gone. Frowning, Mina tried to remember where her parents were.

The phone rang before she could come up with the answer. With a sigh, she grabbed the handset.

"Hi, this is Minako."

There was no response. Just breathing on the other end. Minako bit her lip.

"Hello?"

She hung up. Minako stared at the phone for a moment, and then it started ringing again. Her instinct was to pick up. But instead she picked up her half full mug and dumped it in the sink. Then she pulled the curtains shut. As much as that made her feel closed in and trapped, she preferred that to the feeling of being watched. For a moment she just stood in the kitchen, listening to the ringing phone and trying not to panic. Her parents would gone overnight. They were attending some party out of town hosted by some one her father worked with. There was no way she was staying here on her own. And she wasn't bringing her stalker any closer to her friends than she had to.

Which didn't really leave her with many options. The phone stopped ringing. There was silence for a few moments, and then it started again. Minako made her decision. Grabbing her cell phone and her purse, she called a cab. Then she grabbed an old pair of tennis shoes and a raincoat. Thirty minutes later she was slipping quietly in to a police station. It said something that none of the officers took much note of her presence. A couple of them even offered her a friendly smile and wave as she head for Kenzie's office.

He looked up from his paperwork and offered her a smile which almost immediately turned in to a worried frown.

"What happened?'

"I think he was calling the house. No one answered on the other end, but I could hear breathing. My parents won't be back until tomorrow night, and I couldn't stay in the house knowing that he was watching me."

Kenzie frowned at her, getting up out of his chair to take her coat. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Shaken more than anything else. I just couldn't stay there any longer."

Kenzie smiled gently at her. "I've got another hour before I'm off. We can pick up curry from that place you like on our way to my place. You can crash there until your parents get back."

The knot of tension in her chest loosened, and Minako could finally breath easily again. "Thank you."

"It's not a problem, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead.

Minako curled up in the extra chair in his office, snagging the battered paperback copy of _The Eyre Affair_ that she knew Kenzie kept hidden underneath the paperwork in his inbox. They might not have solved the problems with her stalker yet, but at least she wasn't alone in this any more. And for the first time in ages, she finally felt safe.


End file.
